Britain’s Got Talent’s Amanda Holden, Simon Cowell and Alesha Dixon celebrated thanksgiving together on Thursday – with David Walliams noticeably absent from the get together.
The three judges appeared in high spirits as they posed for a slew of beaming snaps with their loved ones to mark the special occasion.
David, 51, has reportedly quit the ITV show ahead of its 2023 series , weeks after he was forced to apologise for describing an elderly contestant as a ‘c***’ and making vile sexual remarks about a woman taking part.
Tense: Britain’s Got Talent’s Amanda Holden, Simon Cowell and Alesha Dixon celebrated thanksgiving together on Thursday – with David Walliams noticeably absent from the get together
Simon’s fiancée Lauren Silverman was also in attendance at the lavish meal as she posed beside pals Alesha and Amanda.
A number of other pals were also at the get together, as they celebrated the American holiday without David.
David’s future on BGT remains in doubt after he described an elderly contestant as a c*** and made vile sexual remarks about a female who was also competing on the show.
Exit: David, 51, has reportedly quit the ITV show ahead of its 2023 series , weeks after he was forced to apologise for describing an elderly contestant as a ‘c***’ and making vile sexual remarks about a woman taking part
Pals: Simon’s fiancée Lauren Silverman was also in attendance at the lavish meal as she posed beside pals Alesha and Amanda
The comments, made in January 2020 during auditions at the London Palladium, were picked up on the programme’s microphones and revealed earlier this month.
They left both production company Thames and broadcaster ITV unsure about him returning for the 2023 series.
During the audition, an older performer engaged in banter with the judges in which he made a jibe about Walliams. After the audition, the pensioner left, at which point Walliams is said to have called him a ‘c***’ three times.
Happy: The judges appeared in high spirits as they posed for a slew of beaming snaps with their loved ones to mark the special occasion
Fun: A number of other pals were also at the get together, as they celebrated the American holiday without David
In another instance, after a female contestant auditioning on the same show had walked off stage, Walliams remarked: ‘She’s like the slightly boring girl you meet in the pub that thinks you want to f*** them, but you don’t… It’s the last thing on your mind, but she’s like, “Yep, I bet you do!” ’
Walliams, who along with the other judges, Cowell, Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon was in talks about returning for a tenth series, is ‘under the microscope’, with some senior staff saying he should be instantly axed.
Amanda and Simon weighed into the scandal surrounding David after offensive remarks he made about Britain’s Got Talent contestants were leaked.
Despite the backlash, Amanda publicly backed her co-star this week when she proudly declared herself ‘team David’.
He’s off! The comedian (pictured in 2012) is set to leave the ITV show ahead of its 2023 series, weeks after he was forced to apologise for describing an elderly contestant as a ‘c***’
Speaking about the future of Britain’s Got Talent, Amanda told Good Morning Britain on Monday: ‘I would like to see the judging panel look like it did before. I think we’re a great team, we’re a family.’
Asked directly if she was ‘Team David’, she replied: ‘Of course I’m team David.
Simon, 63, wasn’t as forthcoming when probed about his fellow judge in an interview with The Daily Star on Monday.
Asked about David’s conduct, Simon responded: ‘Can we not go there? If you don’t mind.’
When asked if David would feature on the 2023 BGT panel, he cryptically responded: ‘Ask me in a few weeks.’
He also insisted the judges weren’t the key to the success of the show, musing: ‘I think for me, the most important thing – and I had this conversation the other day. It’s always about the talent.
‘If you don’t have great talent, you don’t have a show,’ he said. ‘That’s all I care about.’
The remaining Britain’s Got Talent judge, Alesha Dixon, has yet to comment on the news.
Shocking: The comments, made in January 2020 during auditions at the London Palladium, were picked up on the programme’s microphones and revealed earlier this month
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