The 2023 Laurence Fox GB News scandal is a series of controversies regarding the British free-to-air news channel GB News, its evening show Dan Wootton Tonight, and one of its hosts, actor Laurence Fox in October 2023.

Background

Laurence Fox was at the centre of the scandal

Fox presented a regular Friday night slot on GB News, while fellow host Dan Wootton presented a daily show, four days a week. In November 2021, Wootton's GB News programme, Tonight Live with Dan Wootton, was rebranded to Dan Wootton Tonight and shortened to two hours.

Events

On 27 September 2023, GB News suspended Fox and Wootton after a remark made on the previous evening's edition of Dan Wootton Tonight in which Fox asked "what self-respecting man" would "climb into bed" with journalist Ava Evans of the news website Joe. GB News branded the comments "totally unacceptable" and said it would formally apologise to Evans for the remarks.[1]

Wootton, who laughed as Fox spoke, apologised the following day. He said that he should have intervened and that he had reacted "out of shock".[1] After this, private messages between Fox and Wootton, shared by Fox on Twitter, appeared to show Wootton reacting to the incident on GB News with laughing emojis.[2]

Aftermath

Fox apologised for what he had said, describing it as "demeaning" and "not representative of who I am" on 29 September.[3]

Ofcom, the United Kingdom’s broadcasting regulatory agency, launched an investigation into the 26 September edition of the GB News programme Dan Wootton Tonight after receiving 7,300 complaints about the comments made by Fox.[4] MailOnline subsequently confirmed it was terminating its contract with Wootton following the incident.[4] Calvin Robinson, who presents a religious affairs programme for GB News, then became the third presenter to be suspended by the news channel after voicing his support for Dan Wootton in an online post. Robinson said he would not appear on Dan Wootton Tonight without Wootton, claiming "if he falls, we all fall".[5]

On 4 October 2023, GB News confirmed that, following its investigation, it had dismissed Fox and Robinson.[6] In response, Fox said: "GB News had one opportunity and that opportunity was to stand up and defend free speech, which they haven't done, so I think now as they brand themselves the home of free speech, they're actually the home of cancel culture."[6]

The channel also confirmed the investigation into Wootton was still ongoing.[6]

In December 2023, Ofcom revealed that the Fox incident had garnered the most complaints of any topic during the year.[7]

References

  1. 1 2 "GB News suspends Laurence Fox over comments about journalist Ava Evans". BBC News. 27 September 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  2. ↑ "GB News suspends Dan Wootton after Laurence Fox's remarks on show". The Guardian. 27 September 2023. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  3. ↑ "Laurence Fox apologises to Ava Evans over comments on GB News". Sky News.
  4. 1 2 "Ofcom announces official investigation into GB News over Laurence Fox comments on Dan Wootton's show". Sky News.
  5. ↑ Waterson, Jim (29 September 2023). "GB News' Calvin Robinson is third presenter suspended in three days". The Guardian.
  6. 1 2 3 "Laurence Fox and Calvin Robinson sacked by GB News". BBC News. 4 October 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  7. ↑ "That's a wrap: TV's most complained about programmes of 2023 revealed". Ofcom. 20 December 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
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