David Walliams gave two Nazi salutes during a Christmas special recording BBC1’s Would I Lie To You? on Tuesday, shocking both audience members and fellow panellists.
The BBC and the show’s production company, Zeppotron, have called the gesture “unacceptable” and sources say the footage will not be broadcast.
Walliams, who exited ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent in 2022 after a recording of him making insulting comments about contestants was made public, made the salutes while filming at Pinewood studios.
He was allegedly responding to an anecdote told by fellow panellist, Call the Midwife actress Helen George, who was telling a story about how she had sprained her wrist “from waving too much” during the Strictly Come Dancing tour, after competing in the competition in 2015.
As she was demonstrating the wave to the opposing team – to convince them of the truth of the anecdote – she was told to perform the gesture more forcibly, at which point Walliams joined in.
He gradually performed more vigorous waves, culminating in a Nazi salute.
"Patches of quietened gasps and awkward half-laughs and broken clapping" were heard in the audience, according to journalist Sebastian Topan – who was at the recording.
The host, Gavin & Stacey star Rob Brydon, then reprimanded Walliams, telling him that the show went out before the 9pm watershed.
But as the round continued, Walliams, 53, made the salute a second time, this time adding a sexual twist to the gesture.
"The atmosphere was uncomfortable and weird," Topan said.
Lee Mack, Walliams’s team captain, was said to have looked distinctly unimpressed, according to the Times.
Walliams, who hosts the podcast Making a Scene with his former Little Britain co-star Matt Lucas, has not appeared on terrestrial television since 2022.
“Didn't have David Walliams doing a Nazi salute at the Would I Lie to You? Christmas taping on my 2025 bingo card,” one audience member wrote on X.
"I think Rob Brydon wanted to get past it as quickly as he could. David Walliams' teammates looked unsure what to do and were not laughing,” Topan told the BBC.
“It was like an elephant in the room after that as the incident was early on in the recording and so the remainder of the show felt weird."
However, Jewish comedian Bennett Arron told the JC that while the gesture “might not have been in the best of taste, I’m pretty sure it would have been done for comedy purposes as opposed to genuinely supporting Nazis”.
He went on: “In the same way as Freddie Starr did it in his Hitler sketches (for those of a certain age), or Mel Brooks did in The Producers or John Cleese in Fawlty Towers.
“I’m actually more concerned about the people around the world making genuine Nazi salutes.”
A spokesperson for Banijay UK, which owns the show's production company Zeppotron, said: "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 apologise to those who were at the recording for any offence caused."
A BBC spokesperson said: "The use of such an offensive gesture is completely unacceptable and we apologise to all at the recording for the offence caused."
The JC contacted David Walliams for comment.
