Variety: BBC Blasts David Walliams for Making Nazi Salutes During Comedy Show Recording

Story from Variety:

The BBC has blasted David Walliams, the British comedian and children’s author, for making two Nazi salutes while recording the Christmas special of the comedy panel show ‘Would I Lie To You?’ at Pinewood Studios on Tuesday.

Walliams made the gestures during a segment in which “Call The Midwife” actor Helen George was telling a story about injuring their wrist while waving, according to the BBC. The incident was reported to the BBC by Times Radio producer Sebastian Topan, who was in the audience.

Both the BBC and the show’s production company, the Banijay-owned banner Zeppotron, denounced Walliams’ gestures as “completely unacceptable” and said the segment would not air.

“The use of such an offensive gesture is completely unacceptable and we apologize to all at the recording for the offence caused,” a BBC spokesperson said.

Banijay released a statement saying that “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 apologize to those who were at the recording for any offence caused.”

Walliams previously served as a judge on the ITV show Britain’s Got Talent for over a decade and was ousted after a recording of his insulting comments about contestants was made public in a 2022 bombshell investigative article in The Guardian.

The Times of London was first reported the story.