David Walliams ‘crossed a line’ with two reported ‘Nazi salute’ gestures during the filming a Christmas special of Would I Lie To You?, it’s been claimed.
According to The Times, former Britain’s Got Talent judge David, 53, shocked audience members at the BBC show taping on Tuesday (June 10).
It is claimed David, who left BGT in 2022 amid claims he was recorded making derogatory comments about contestants, was reminded by host Rob Brydon during the recording that the programme would be aired before the watershed. However, it is now not expected that the segment will be shown on TV at all.
David Walliams performs ‘Nazi salute’
The newspaper reports David Walliams made the gesture two times in the Pinewood Studio, where the panel show is staged.
They are said to have came as the ex Little Britain star’s teammate Helen George told how she ‘sprained her wrist from waving too much during the Strictly tour’ as part of the game show.
Call the Midwife actress Helen reportedly then demonstrated her wave. However, she was apparently informed it was “too little” and encouraged to exaggerate it. David is said to have interjected at this point with “increasingly vigorous” waves. This was said to have culminated in him “holding his arm out in a Nazi salute”.
It was also claimed lewd jokes about Helen’s time on Strictly Come Dancing continued through the round before David made the ‘salute’ gesture again, and “embellishing it with a sexual twist”.
There were gasps from the audience.
An audience member is said to have said the ‘salutes’ were received “awkwardly”. “It was all very weird. There were gasps from the audience and the other panellists all looked very uncomfortable,” the unnamed observer is quoted as saying.
How TV fans have reacted
The Times also reports a separate member of the audience wrote on X: “I didn’t have David Walliams doing a Nazi salute at the Would I Lie To You? Christmas taping on my 2025 bingo card.”
Other social media users have also expressed hopes David could be ‘cancelled’.
“Looks like he will be getting sacked too then,” one Facebook user speculated.
Another claimed: “That’s the final coffin nail in his career.”
And a third person remarked on the same platform: “We know who won’t be getting any work then don’t we.”
Meanwhile, over on X, one unimpressed user posted: “Walliams crossed the line. Comedy must never echo hate. BBC right to scrap the segment and condemn the gesture.”
And someone else added: “David Walliams hasn’t been on TV since 2022, and that’s how it should have stayed.”
‘Completely unacceptable’
ED! has contacted representatives for David Walliams and the BBC for comment on The Times’ story.
A BBC spokesperson told us: “The comment is in The Times piece.” The BBC had told The Times: “The use of such an offensive gesture is completely unacceptable and we apologise to all at the recording for the offence caused.”
A spokesperson for Banijay UK, which owns production company Zeppotron, also said to the newspaper: “Any attempt at humour regarding this deeply offensive gesture, whether broadcast or not, is completely unacceptable in any context. It was immediately acknowledged during the recording that this segment would not be broadcast under any circumstances and we apologise to those who were at the recording for any offence caused.”
Read more: David Walliams hits back at being ‘cancelled’ as he and Matt Lucas plug new show
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