29/01/2012 - Workaholic Walliams

David Walliams is a busy man. Not only is he flying around the UK to judge talent as the new Britain’s Got Talent judge, he is also working on several projects and doesn’t get a lot of free time!

Yesterday he spent most of his day in Llandaff following the footsteps of Roald Dahl for a new ITV documentary. He was spotted by fans being filmed in The Great Wall Chinese takeaway and reading Dahls work and speaking to children at the Cathedral school in Llandaff, where Dahl used to go as a child, amongst other hotspots. His wife Lara Stone accompanied him and earlier tweeted:

“Going to Wales for the first time ever! So excited”. She joked that she might pop up on stage at the Cardiff BGT auditions tomorrow saying: “I’m going to show off my knitting talent”.

Following in the footsteps of Dahl, as a successful writer in his own right, David is also working on a new kids book (his fourth), based on his work for Britain’s Got Talent. Superbrat will take children backstage in the world of talent scouting.

He is also working on a new BBC1 detective drama about a male/female detective duo which he has written and will play the lead. Reports suggest that he hopes to cast Karen Gillan or Billie Piper as the female lead.

28/01/2012 - Walliams reveals autobiography details

Speaking at the National Television Awards (NTAs), the actor said he was "excited" to be writing a book, which he says will be titled Camp David.

"It's weird, in writing it you remember more and more things," he said. "Also, it's good to ask other people what their memories are.

"I did keep diaries from about the age of 30, so I've got a lot of stuff there."

He added: "I think the hardest thing is recalling people's names - like a teacher who taught you 30 years ago."

When asked if he thought he was too young to be writing a book, Walliams joked: "I'm 62.

"Some really young people have written them. Kenneth Branagh wrote one when he was 26." The actor says the book will be released later this year.

25/01/2012 - Walliams receives National Television Award

A congratulations is in order for David Walliams who received the 'Landmark' award this evening at the National Television Awards for his telly career and achievements for Sports Relief.

David received a rapturous reception as the audience recognised the challenge he completed last year as he swam the River Thames.

Thank you to Professor Greg Whyte for sending us this photograph during the after show party!

A press release from the Sport Relief team can be found here.

David Walliams says Britain's Got Talent judges were 'worried' when Amanda Holden wasn't well

David Walliams has explained how concerned the Britain's Got Talent judges were after Amanda Holden was rushed to hospital on Monday to give birth to her baby daughter.

David said that himself, Simon Cowell and Alesha Dixon were worried when they were told that fellow judge Amanda wasn't well, but were relieved to hear the fantastic news yesterday.

David said: "It's fantastic news, we were all worried when we were doing the show after hearing she was in hospital. We heard she hasn't been well, but I don't know more than that. "It was just the three of us in Blackpool yesterday, but Louis Walsh always seems to be on standby, but maybe he can pop on a wig and do Amanda's job." Source. Source 2.

23/01/2012 - Walliams Under Fire For Lewd BGT Debut

David Walliams flirtatious manner and risque humour looks to have gotten him in hot water with ITV bosses after the 'Little Britain' man made an x-rated debut on British reality show 'Britain's Got Talent.' The show airs at 7pm in the UK and has a gained a reputation as one of the most popular family shows in the country, which means that Walliams' flirting with hosts Ant & Dec, constant innuendo and sexual jibes came under much scrutiny, with show staff keen for him to refine his humour for the next instalment of the show.

An insider told UK tabloid The Sun "A lot of Walliams' comments need editing out. It certainly can't go on for the rest of filming. If we don't get clean comments, that act won't get a big showing," a firm slap of the wrists then, although the comedian's performance wasn't without merit, impressing as it did fellow judge and show creator Simon Cowell. "It's a learning curve. He was very funny but we need him to be more family-friendly. But we're still confident we made the right choice.Simon Cowell loves the banter and thinks the new panel has great chemistry". Source.

22/01/2012 - Walliams runs rings round Simon Cowell

New Britain’s Got Talent judge David Walliams stole the show at his first audition with a string of hilarious gags... aimed at Simon Cowell.

The comic’s constant quick-witted put-downs left his stunned co-judge almost speechless and the audience in stitches.

No topic was off-limits as he laid into the show’s creator, calling him camp, mocking him about plastic surgery and ridiculing his friendships with Sinitta and Louis Walsh.

David, 40, brought in to spice up the talent show, delighted the audience at The Lowry Theatre in Manchester as one-liners streamed out.

In one witty rant after Simon told a contestant to be more “showbizzy”, David scoffed: “Yeah, have a bit of work done, become friends with Louis Walsh, go on holiday with Sinitta, have your picture taken with your top off and some fruit in your mouth.”

Simon tried to brush it off by rolling his eyes and muttering: “Thank you David, you’ve made you’re point David, thank you.” Full story... Source 2.

David Walliams causes 'fury' with cruise ship joke

David Walliams hasn’t got off to the best of starts on Britain’s Got Talent it’s been revealed, with a joke about the Costa Concordia cruise ship disaster which cost at least 12 people their lives last week.

David made the gag after a piano playing couple told the panel they perform on cruise ships.

He quipped: “Not the one that recently went down? Because the keyboard would go like that,” before miming someone playing a piano on a ship underwater.

But while Alesha laughed, the audience seemed unimpressed, and it wasn’t David’s only sore note of the day. Boss Simon Cowell even had to apologise on his behalf after making “smutty remarks” to other contestants.

A show insider told the Daily Star Sunday: “David made a tongue-in-cheek comment and didn’t mean to cause offence.

“He was incredibly supportive of the acts and was light-hearted throughout.”

21/01/2012 - Simon Cowell: David Walliams is insane

Simon Cowell has revealed that the Britain's Got Talent judging panel have already found 'a star' and has dubbed show newcomer David Walliams 'insane'.

The media mogul and Walliams took their places alongside former Strictly Come Dancing judge Alesha Dixon and heavily pregnant Amanda Holden in Manchester on Friday for the first day of auditions. And, if Simon's closing comments are anything to go by, a successful day was had by all.

He tweeted last night: 'First day of auditions, think we found a star but won't give it away. David Walliams is insane!'

And it's no wonder the panellists were on top of their game as the returning judge had instructed his team to knuckle down and ignore the cameras.

He told The Sun: 'It literally is, "Can you find a star, have you got an opinion, don't be afraid to argue, listen when I make a point". 'We're judges, that's all you have to worry about.'

19/01/2012 - Walliams backs Sport Relief campaign

Sport Relief 2012 has launched and this year more than one million people are expected to pull up their socks and take part in the Sport Relief Mile.

The aim is to raise some serious cash for vulnerable people across the UK and the world's poorest countries.

Celebrating the UK's biggest year of sport, a whole host of famous faces from the world of sport and entertainment will be taking part in Sport Relief Mile events across the length and breadth of the country on Sunday 25 March.

This year's Sport Relief splashed into action early with comedian David Walliams going to extraordinary lengths for The Big Splash Sport Relief Challenge: Walliams vs The Thames.

He swam a staggering 140 miles along the Thames, raised more than £1m and even rescued a dog! A documentary catching every splash will be shown in the lead up to the Sport Relief Weekend.

13/01/2012 - David Walliams won't be a harsh judge

David Walliams won't be able to give negative feedback on 'Britain's Got Talent' because he doesn't think he has enough talent of his own.

David has joined the panel of the programme but admits he will find it hard to give negative feedback because he doesn't want to "crush people's dreams".

He said: "The best judges are the ones who are prepared to say negative things. But I don't feel I have enough talent to tell someone that they don't have talent.

"I would feel bad saying 'No' to people because even if they have not got a great talent, it's their dream.

"I don't want to be the person who crushes someone's dream."

While David - who will be joined on the panel by Amanda Holden, Simon Cowell and Alesha Dixon - is excited about his new role, he admits another talent show, 'The X Factor', bored him.

He told the Daily Star newspaper: "I watched 'The X Factor' but I just found it boring when they sang, not that there were not any good singers.

"I know it is a singing competition but I just like watching the stars and judges coming out but I get bored when they start singing. "I enjoy watching it but it demands a lot of your time."

11/01/2012 - Walliams: The only swimming I'll do now is in my bath

David Walliams admits he is unlikely to match his feat of swimming the Thames again - because people would expect him to do something even more difficult.

The 40-year-old comedian swam the length of the river in February, raising more than £1 million for Sport Relief.

He said: "I don't know how I could top swimming 140 miles down the Thames. And I would have to top it otherwise the British public would think, 'That's a bit easy.' To be honest, a bath is the only water I want to get in for the foreseeable future.

"It really is the last thing I'd think of doing again. Perhaps I'll do it in a boat next time."

He added he was "overwhelmed by the generosity of the British people", saying: "I thought they would get bored halfway through but they didn't."

He swam the Channel in July 2006 and the Strait of Gibraltar in March 2008, but said the Thames was "much tougher" than he expected.

"Swimming the channel was 20 miles, and on the Thames I was doing that every day so it was a real endurance event. It really did affect my health. It nearly killed me."

Thousands lined the banks to watch him. Maidenhead was forced to cancel hundreds of parking tickets after over-zealous wardens penalised people who left their cars near the river when they cheered him on.

10/01/2012 - No plans for 'Little Britain' to return

David Walliams and Matt Lucas like to play a game of Come Die With Me when they’re on a plane with other celebrities. They try to guess who would get the bigger headline in the papers if the plane crashed.

Walliams said: “Matt and I were once on the same flight as Andi Peters and Konnie Huq. Now who would get top billing there? And Sting was once on our flight and we both thought, if this plane goes down he is definitely going to get the headlines. “I was livid.”

Walliams also said there were no plans to do any more series of Little Britain. He added: “When you’ve done something that’s been successful, you’re caught between wanting to leave it where it is and remembered well or doing more of it. “At the moment there are no immediate plans to bring it back.”

But there was one ambition the funnyman was dying to fulfil. He said: “I’d love to play M in the Bond movies. “But I don’t think they’d let me."

01/01/2012 - Britain's Got Walliams!

Firstly, Happy New Year!

We can now confirm that David Walliams has signed a £250,000 two-year deal (although recent sources suggest that the deal is worth £800,000) to join the ITV Britain’s Got Talent judging panel. The comedian will join the rest of the judges as early as next week as they film the auditions stage.

A source on the ITV1 show said: “David can’t wait to be a judge – it’s right up his street. “He’s always been a big fan of BGT and will enjoy embracing the more eccentric side of the show. “Producers are especially happy they’ve managed to get him signed up for two years. “He’s going to be a great asset and will give the show a completely new lease of life.”

Walliams is to join Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and Simon Cowell in the line-up. Ant and Dec are expected to stay on as the show’s hosts. Cowell will return to the series in a bid to raise waning viewing figures.

The cash prize for this year’s competition has been upped from £100,000 to £500,000, as well as the slot on the Royal Variety Performance. Cowell also said he was keen to stress that the show was keen to look beyond singers, following the success of Susan Boyle.

He said: ‘I want to change the perception of the show. I think there's a notion with the show that all we want is older people who can sing opera. I don't mind that, but at the same time, the whole notion of this show is to say it's open for people that can't just sing. It could be a new young comedian; it could be something we've seen on YouTube. I don't know what it is.

‘I love originality, I love great singers, I love great comedians. I love things I've never seen before. Everyone thinks I hate magicians, well I hate bad magicians, but I'd love to find a great magician.’

Elaine Bedell, ITV director of entertainment and comedy said: ‘I’m delighted David and Alesha will be joining Simon and Amanda on the panel.  David is one of the country’s top entertainers and a big fan of variety.’