David Walliams says there’s no chance of receiving a Christmas pressie from Simon Cowell
He adds that his Britain's Got Talent boss probably chucks the gifts he gives him on the fire
THERE's no one giving more of himself on the telly this Christmas than David Walliams.
He’s got a festive Walliams & Friend special, a night with Dame Shirley Bassey, he’s the host of Blankety Blank and voices four characters in Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes.
But for all that giving, there’s one thing that David knows he won’t be receiving – a Christmas card or present from his boss and fellow Britain’s Got Talent judge, Simon Cowell.
“You do not hear from him!” admits David, 45.
“It’s your birthday – don’t hear a word. You send your new book to his son Eric as a gift – never hear anything back. At the end of the series on Britain’s Got Talent, I go round with presents for everybody.
"Give Simon his. Glances at it. Doesn’t say anything. Obviously I get him something really expensive and beautiful as I want to get signed up for another series. You wonder if he’s got me anything to say thanks for being funny this year. Nope, nothing at all.
“He is so funny. I think if you’re out of sight then you’re out of mind with Simon. He probably chucks all those presents on a fire. Just burns them and money and members of One Direction who he’s fallen out with…”
Luckily, David’s got no time for crying over non-existent Christmas presents. Instead he’s been working his socks off – even managing to fill the huge Downtown Abbey gap in the schedules by getting Hugh Bonneville to take the mickey out of his old show.
“When someone is famous for something, you never quite know whether they’re going to want to send it up or not, but Hugh was really into it,” says David of his co-star dragging up as The Countess on his Walliams & Friend special.
“The original sketch was him being the Duchess of York. Then he said: ‘How about if I was a Downton character?’ which was great.
“He even threw himself into dancing badly for our Dad Dancing sketch. You need to be able to make a fool of yourself on a sketch show – I didn’t realise Hugh would be so game.”
david walliams
Equally game was Dame Shirley Bassey. David was thrilled to be asked to host a celebration of her life after they first met on The Graham Norton Show two years ago.
“We got on very well when we did that,” he says.
“She’s a riot to be with and doesn’t take herself seriously. You can really take the p**s out of Shirley and she doesn’t mind at all.
"She’s 80 in January, so it felt like a great opportunity to celebrate her.
"She’s going to sing and we’re going to chat, and there will be a few little comedy bits along the way. It’s old-fashioned Christmas light entertainment.
“She’s so special and people love her so much. I remember seeing her on Morecambe & Wise, then buying a James Bond album and realising she was special because she got to sing three theme tunes.”
Should she do another one?
“Definitely,” reckons David. “Her voice is timeless.
"She’s been smart and reinvented herself for new audiences. She’s done Glastonbury and worked with new people. She’s been famous for ever. She’s never had, like, 10 years off. Shirley’s always been in the public eye and always been loved.”
NEW! Walliams & Friend Fri 23 Dec 9.30pm & Tues 27 Dec 10pm BBC1, David Walliams Celebrates Dame Shirley Bassey Christmas Eve 9pm BBC1 & Blankety Blank Christmas Eve 6.30pm ITV
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