GB News has said sorry and started an investigation after actor and politician Laurence Fox made “totally unacceptable” comments about a female journalist on the channel. Fox insulted Ava Evans, a political correspondent for online news site Joe, during an interview with presenter Dan Wootton on Tuesday night.
Fox called Evans a “little woman” and questioned her attractiveness
Fox, who is the founder of the Reclaim Party, was discussing Evans’ appearance on BBC Politics Live on Monday, where she expressed her opposition to the idea of a minister for men. Evans later said on X that she regretted her comments and was interested in the issue of young men’s mental health.
However, Fox showed no sympathy for Evans and launched a personal attack on her. He called her a “little woman” and said: “Show me a single self-respecting man that would like to climb into bed with that woman ever, ever, who wasn’t an incel.”
He also criticised her as a “feminist 4.0” who was “pathetic and embarrassing”. He added: “Who’d want to shag that?” as both he and Wootton laughed.
Evans said she felt “physically sick” after hearing Fox’s comments
Evans shared a clip of the segment on X with the caption: “Laurence Fox just did a whole speech on GB News on why men apparently won’t shag me?” The clip has been viewed more than five million times as of Wednesday morning.
In a follow-up tweet to her nearly 100,000 followers, she said that the footage made her feel “physically sick”. She also thanked people for their support and said she was “overwhelmed by the kindness”.
Many X users condemned Fox’s comments and expressed their solidarity with Evans. Some also criticised Wootton for not challenging Fox or apologising to Evans on air.
GB News apologised and launched an investigation
GB News issued a statement on X saying that Fox’s comments were “totally unacceptable” and did not reflect the channel’s values. The statement said: “We apologise unreservedly for the comments and the offence they have caused. We have launched an investigation and will be apologising to the individual involved.”
Wootton also apologised later, saying: “Dear @AvaSantina I think you’re brilliant … I apologise for what was said during the course of my show and should have done this immediately on air. This is not what our channel is about.”
Fox has not issued any apology or comment on his remarks as of yet.
GB News has faced controversy and criticism since its launch
GB News is a right-leaning news channel that launched in June 2023 with the aim of providing an alternative to the mainstream media. It has been backed by investors such as Discovery Inc and Paul Marshall, the chairman of hedge fund Marshall Wace.
However, the channel has faced several challenges and controversies since its launch. It has been plagued by technical glitches, low ratings, staff departures, advertiser boycotts, and complaints to Ofcom.
The channel has also been accused of promoting misinformation, bias, and divisive views on issues such as Covid-19, Brexit, immigration, and culture wars.