Dan Wootton out at GB News day after Ofcom stated misogynistic rant broke rule | EUROtoday

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Dan Wootton is out at GB News a day after the media watchdog dominated misogynistic feedback made on his present broke broadcasting guidelines.

Mr Wootton, who introduced he has left the £600,000-a-year presenting position to launch his personal impartial platform, was closely criticised for failing to cease right-wing commentator Laurence Fox making a vile on-air rant towards a feminine journalist final 12 months.

On Monday, Ofcom dominated that Mr Fox’s “misogynistic” feedback about feminine journalist Ava Evans on Mr Wootton’s GB News present broke broadcasting guidelines that defend “viewers from offensive content”.

An electronic mail seen by The Independent, which was circulated internally, confirmed Mr Wootton has left the corporate.

It reads: “Dan Wootton joined GB News before its launch and was a part of the first on-air line up. Dan is no longer employed by GB News and we thank him for his contribution and wish him well with his future endeavours.”

Mr Wootton’s authorized representatives at Griffin Law additionally confirmed he now not works for GB News Ltd.

His identify now not options within the channel’s checklist of presenters on its web site.

In an announcement issued on Tuesday, Mr Wootton stated: “I have left GB News to launch my own independent Outspoken platform which will from later this year feature a brand new daily news and opinion show that will NOT be regulated by the Ofcommunist censors.

“However, yesterday’s chilling Ofcom report clearly raises far bigger issues.

“How can any broadcaster or publisher truly stand for freedom of expression when state goons have the power to decide what you are and are not allowed to say on air?”

Nearly 9,000 individuals complained to the media regulator over the feedback made by Mr Fox on Mr Wootton’s GB News present, with viewers complaining they have been sexist, misogynistic and offensive.

In the phase aired on 26 September 2023, the previous actor and Reclaim Party founder referred to as Ms Evans a “little woman”, declaring: “Show me a single self-respecting man that would like to climb into bed with that woman ever, ever, who wasn’t an incel.”

The watchdog’s investigation discovered his remarks “constituted a highly personal attack on Ms Evans and were potentially highly offensive to viewers”, concluding: “Mr Fox’s comments were degrading and demeaning both to Ms Evans and women generally and were clearly and unambiguously misogynistic.”

Mr Fox and Mr Wootton – who each didn’t ask for forgiveness whereas on air however did later apologise – have been suspended by the channel after the printed. Mr Fox was later sacked.

Following Ofcom’s ruling, Mr Fox stated in an announcement posted to Twitter/X: “I’m not overly bothered about this anymore. I could have expressed myself better, that’s life and I’ve said my bit. I still think it’s one of the biggest pieces of confected outrage I’ve ever witnessed.”

Separately, Mr Wootton final month stated police confirmed they’d be taking no additional motion over accusations made towards him. The allegations, which Mr Wootton has all the time vehemently denied, associated to using deception and blackmail to acquire sexual photos.

The New Zealand-born presenter claimed to have been “the victim of a politically-motivated witch hunt through the left-wing and social media”.

In an announcement issued to the Guido Fawkes web site on 21 February, he stated: “Well six months on, I have now been completely cleared in two investigations by the Metropolitan and Scottish Police, who have confirmed they will be taking no further action.”

It got here as GB News losses widened by practically 40 per cent final 12 months as its house owners continued to pour tens of millions of kilos into the channel with excessive wage payments for top-name presenters. The firm stated pre-tax losses had gone from £30.7m within the 12 months to the tip of May 2022, to £42.4m a 12 months later.

However, the channel stated its audiences had ballooned, particularly on-line.

“The company has strong support from its investors and the directors have no reason to believe that the level of these contributions might vary to a significant degree or be recalled before the group has the resources to repay the investment,” GB News stated in accounts filed to Companies House.

The enterprise stated that it had a median of 295 month-to-month staff in the course of the 12 months, with its wage, social safety and pension prices reaching £21.2m, or round £72,000 per head.

TalkTV might be taken off air in the summertime and transfer on-line, weeks after Piers Morgan left his each day present on the channel.

Scott Taunton, TalkTV’s president of broadcasting, stated in a briefing to workers: “Two years ago, we would not have been brave enough to launch a channel without a linear presence, but audiences of all ages have moved fast and smartphones are now the primary device where news is consumed. We need to adapt to this as a priority. We are therefore intending that Talk comes off linear television from early summer and our focus will be on streaming.”

TalkTV presently has 812,000 YouTube subscribers. Piers Morgan Uncensored has 2.4 million.

The Independent has contacted GB News for remark.