David Hasselhoff dropped from America's Got Talent

David Hasselhoff dropped from America's Got Talent (Image credit: PA Wire/Press Association Images)

David Hasselhoff has been dropped as a judge on America's Got Talent because of recent stories about his drinking. Bosses have not sacked him but won't be renewing his contract for the US reality show. The former Baywatch star told The Sun: "I am proud I was part of making America's Got Talent the number one rated show for the past four summers. "It's been a rewarding experience and now I'm thrilled to be able to follow my dream to do my own TV show, which will be announced very shortly. "I want to thank my friend Simon Cowell for four great years." Friends have claimed that Simon was not involved in the decision to axe The Hoff from the judging panel. The source told the paper: "This has built up for some time. "David has been in the papers a lot for his drunken behaviour and he doesn't seem to want to clean up his act. "He was absolutely devastated at the news. The show provided the majority of his income."

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Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix.

An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.