David Walliams Under Fire for Nazi Salute During ‘Would I Lie To You?’ Recording

BBC condemns “completely unacceptable” gesture as Nazi salute incident involving David Walliams prompts public backlash during Christmas special taping

The BBC has strongly condemned David Walliams after the comedian allegedly performed a Nazi salute during the filming of a Christmas special of the popular panel show Would I Lie To You?. The broadcaster issued an apology to audience members who may have been offended by the act, calling it “completely unacceptable.”

The incident reportedly took place during the show’s taping at Pinewood Studios, when Call the Midwife star Helen George was telling a humorous story about spraining her wrist from “waving too much” during a Strictly Come Dancing tour. As she delivered her anecdote, Walliams allegedly raised his arm in a Nazi-style salute not once, but twice.

The revelation was first reported by The Times of London, with Sebastian Topan, a Times Radio producer who was present in the audience, confirming the offensive gesture. “Some other panellist was talking when David Walliams started doing the Nazi salute,” Topan told BBC News. “I was shocked at what I had seen.”

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“It Felt Like an Elephant in the Room”

According to Topan, Would I Lie To You? host Rob Brydon swiftly tried to move past the moment, and Walliams’ actions did not seem to amuse the other panelists. “It was like an elephant in the room after that,” Topan noted. “The incident occurred early on in the recording, and so the remainder of the show felt weird.”

In response to the growing criticism, a spokesperson for Banijay UK, which owns Would I Lie To You? producer Zeppotron, confirmed that the segment would be removed entirely from the final broadcast.

“Any attempt at humour regarding this deeply offensive gesture, whether broadcast or not, is completely unacceptable in any context,” said the Banijay spokesperson. “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.”

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BBC and Public Reaction

The BBC echoed these sentiments in its official statement:

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

Walliams, a longtime comedian best known for his work on Little Britain and as a former judge on Britain’s Got Talent, has not yet publicly commented on the incident. His representative has been contacted.

This controversy follows a 2022 Guardian report that revealed Walliams had made disrespectful and inappropriate remarks about two contestants during his tenure on Britain’s Got Talent. He later filed a lawsuit and settled with Fremantle, the show’s production company, over the leak of the transcripts to the media.

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