Humorist and children’s book writer David Walliams has faced broad criticism, even from the BBC, following his performance of two Nazi salutes during the taping of the talk show “Would I Lie to You?” earlier in the week.
On Thursday, The Times initially published an article stating that Walliams, who was previously a judge on Britain’s Got Talent, made certain gestures during a part of the show where another panelist humorously mentioned hurting their wrist from waving.
On Tuesday, while the show’s Christmas special was being recorded at Pinewood Studios, it is said that the crowd witnessed an unexpected scene as Walliams imitated ocean waves and then made a gesture reminiscent of a Nazi salute.
Journalist Sebastian Topan phoned the BBC to relay an account of an incident. He explained, “During a discussion, David Walliams made the Nazi salute.” Topan expressed his surprise at what he had witnessed. The room was filled with momentary gasps, awkward laughter, and interrupted applause.
In the TV show they were working on, Rob Brydon (who played in Gavin & Stacey) informed his co-host Walliams that their program would air before 9 PM, the television’s designated time for family viewing. However, as discussions went on, it was alleged that Walliams made an offensive gesture by performing a salute and adding an explicit hand movement. According to Topan, the atmosphere became awkward and peculiar due to this incident.
The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to Walliams’ team for comment.
A representative from Banijay U.K., the company responsible for producing the show through its subsidiary Zeppotron, has stated that making jokes about such a deeply hurtful action, regardless of where it was shown, is completely out of bounds and unsuitable in any situation whatsoever.
I made it clear on the spot during the livestream that this part wouldn’t air under any conditions. I want to extend my sincere apologies to everyone present for any discomfort this may have caused.
A representative from BBC added: “Employing a disrespectful hand signal is absolutely inappropriate, and we express our sincere apologies to everyone involved in the recording for any offense taken.
On multiple occasions, Walliams has faced backlash due to controversy. He is widely recognized in the U.K. for his partnership with Matt Lucas on shows like “Little Britain” and “Come Fly With Me”, and they’ve both gone on to appear in films such as “Bridesmaids” and “Alice in Wonderland”. However, he left ITV’s “Britain’s Got Talent” in 2022 following the public disclosure of recordings where he was heard making derogatory comments about contestants on the show.
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2025-06-12 14:54