The talent show judge has been embroiled in controversy recently, after disrespectful comments he made about auditionees came to light.
And while the Little Britain creator is still set to return to screens in the Christmas special, The Ultimate Magician, it’s believed that ITV bosses want to ensure pay is equal across the panel.
David sits alongside Simon Cowell, Alesha Dixon, and Amanda Holden as a BGT judge, with the line-up remaining the same for several years.
Sources now say that ITV and production company Thames wanted to ensure that all judges’ salaries were in line, after Alesha and Amanda were paid ‘far less’ than David’s £1.5million fee.
An insider told The Mail on Sunday that David – whose future on the show remains uncertain – was unable to negotiate the fee he wanted for the upcoming Christmas special.
‘David was told he couldn’t be paid what he wanted for the special. The bosses understandably wanted to pay everyone the same.
‘For years, Amanda and Alesha have been earning far less than David and have felt that to be extremely unfair.’
This isn’t the first time the pay of the judges has made headlines.
In 2020, it was reported that Amanda – the only judge to have sat on the panel every year – and Alesha asked to be paid the same as their male counterparts.
Reports later said that Amanda earned around £700k per series, compared with Alesha’s £450k, both a stark contrast to comedian David’s £1.5million.
As the creator of the show and a long-standing judge, it’s believed that Simon rakes in £2.5million per series.
Sunday night’s Christmas special will see Stephen Mulhern temporarily take over from Ant and Dec’s hosting duties to crown the magic champ.
The Ultimate Magician will see 10 previous magicians return to the BGT stage for a chance to win a cool £50,000.
While children’s author David appears on the show, the special was recorded before his derogatory comments were leaked.
Penn Jillete – one half of magic duo Penn & Teller – fills in for Simon, who had filming commitments in LA at the time of shooting.
Reps for David Walliams and ITV have been contacted for comment.
Britain’s Got Talent: The Ultimate Magician airs tonight on ITV at 8pm.
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