Britain’s Got Talent: David Walliams says ITV show is now ‘World’s Got Talent’

The comedian defended non-UK acts saying they make the show “special” and “set the bar higher”
Look-alike: David Walliams dressed as Simon Cowell at the BGT press conference
Jonathan Brady/PA

David Walliams has said the presence of acts from outside of the UK has led to Britain’s Got Talent being dubbed ‘World’s Got Talent’.

Some fans have criticised the show for the number of foreign acts that take part – but Walliams said it would be unfair to discriminate.

The comedian defended non-UK acts saying they make the show “special” and “set the bar higher”.

Speaking at a press conference, where he arrived dressed as Simon Cowell, he said: “It has sort of become ‘World’s Got Talent’ and that puts us in a very special place that we have talent from around the world.

Britain's Got Talent London Auditions

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“I’d hate to think we wouldn’t have people from around the world, because they set the bar higher. It would be quite tough if you had one person from Spain and one person from England and you said ‘you can’t enter’.”

Walliams – who has been a judge on the ITV talent show since 2007 – also dismissed Simon Cowell’s claim that he gets jealous whenever a comedian auditions.

He said: “It was a running joke this year that whenever a comedian came on and did well he said ‘are you alright David?’. He projects his own evil thoughts onto others. He thinks I wouldn’t want [a comic] to do well.”

Walliams said he sympathises with the comics as they have the toughest job when it comes to winning over the audience.

“It’s doubly tough for the comics on this show,” he said. “The audience have been there a long time and they’re generally not as patient as they would be in a comedy club. It’s tough to come on and talk before you do your act so when they do come on and do well it’s impressive.”

Britain’s Got Talent returns to ITV, Saturday at 7pm.

Follow @StandardShowbiz for more entertainment news.

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