Alan Carr breaks silence on BGT snub after Bruno Tonioli landed role

10 October 2023 , 15:07

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Alan Carr breaks silence on BGT snub after Bruno Tonioli landed role

Alan Carr has broken his silence on missing out on a judges chair on Britain’s Got Talent ten months after rumours swirled that he’d secured a deal to appear on the show following the exit of fellow comic, David Walliams.

The 47-year-old bespectacled funnyman was a hot favourite to take over the judges chair of 52-year-old David – who sensationally quit BGT last November amid allegations he had expressed vile opinions about contestants, which he later apologised for.

And while many fans were excited to see Alan take to the panel, dreams were reportedly crushed just days later when former Strictly Come Dancing star Bruno Tonioli was unveiled as the new judge.

Now Alan has broken his silence on the reports and rumours – revealing that the speculation was all a surprise to him. However, the star has also hinted that he is far from upset over being snubbed from the judging panel as he has been keeping himself busy with projects of his own.

Alan Carr has opened up about missing out on becoming a Britain's Got Talent judge (Getty Images)

Alan had been tipped to take David Walliams' seat on the BGT judging panel (ITV)

Opening up to The Sun, Alan explained that he first learned he was being tipped to feature on the BGT judging panel while he was out driving. He said: “I was driving along the M25 and then it’s, ‘ping, ping, ping’ on my phone. I’m like, ‘Oh my God, someone’s died — or my sex tape has come out!’

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“So I pulled over and it was messages saying I’d got the job and it was all in the papers. Then I had a meeting with them and they said, ‘Oh yeah . . .’ and they said I’d find out.”

Alan then explained that he subsequently found out he hadn’t landed the role when Bruno was announced as the new judge a week after the speculation had first ignited. He said: “I don’t really know what went on. It was that awful thing of people saying I was devastated. I was on the set of my sitcom, which I wrote and I’m producing, so I was not devastated about not being on BGT.”

Alan went on to explain that he ended up coming face to face with BGT boss Simon Cowell just days later when Amanda Holden threw a party and invited both men. The Chatty Man star said he joked with 64-year-old Simon about missing out on having a judges chair, but the business mogul told him, “That’s showbizness”.

Former Strictly Come Dancing star Bruno Tonioli won the judging role alongside Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon (Dymond/Thames/REX/Shutterstock)

Back in January, an ITV source hinted Alan would be taking over David’s chair, telling the MailOnline: ”Alan is hilarious but also kind. He tells a mean joke but he is also soft in the middle. The bosses are already excited about how wonderful he will be with the contestants. He will complement the panel so well too, he is really close friends with Amanda and he has known Simon and Alesha for years too.”

But just six days later, Bruno was unveiled as the new judge on the show. The former Strictly star said at the time: “This is the biggest show on British TV, now that I’m here. I mean it. Simon is going to hate that I’ve said that but oh well.”

Mirror.co.uk