For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emails<\/p>\n
A row over Laurence Fox\u2019s sexist abuse of a female journalist on GB News has escalated with presenter Dan Wootton now suspended by the channel.<\/p>\n
The 40-year-old host was taken off the air after being publicly criticised for failing to halt Fox\u2019s outburst and laughing at derogatory comments about Ava Evans, a political correspondent for online news site, Joe.<\/p>\n
Earlier, the right-wing channel, which has billed itself as the \u201chome of free speech\u201d, banned Fox from further appearances and promised a \u201cfull investigation\u201d.<\/p>\n
Fellow presenter Mark Dolan described the remarks as \u201cshameful\u201d while political correspondent Olivia Utley called them \u201cvile\u201d.<\/p>\n
It leaves GB News, whose majority shareholder, Sir Paul Marshall, is trying to buy the Daily Telegraph, facing an existential crisis with the future of two of its most prominent stars now uncertain.<\/p>\n
Former prime minister Gordon Brown called for both Wootton and Fox to be \u201ckept off air,\u201d and for regulator Ofcom to be given more \u201cteeth\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we\u2019ve got to look very carefully at GB News and all these broadcast companies that are emerging, because we\u2019ve got a far wider range of broadcasters and the system of regulation is not good enough to cope with it,\u201d he told Sky News.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese people have got to be kept off the air, this cannot be allowed. I\u2019m not in favour of censorship, but you cannot have this fall in standards and allow it to continue.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wootton was suspended by MailOnline in August when allegations emerged that he used a fake identity to offer colleagues money for sexual material \u2013 allegations he has strongly denied.<\/p>\n
GB News described the comments made by Fox as \u201ctotally unacceptable\u201d, adding: \u201cGB News has suspended Dan Wootton following comments made on his programme by Laurence Fox last night. This follows our decision earlier today to formally suspend Mr Fox.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dan Wootton during an interview with Laurence Fox (right) on an episode of \u2018Dan Wootton Tonight\u2019 (PA)<\/p>\n
The exchange took place on Dan Wootton Tonight in response to an earlier panel discussion on BBC Politics Live in which Ms Evans, a contributor, said a fellow guest\u2019s suggestion of a minister for men to tackle male suicide \u201cfeeds into the culture war a little bit\u201d.<\/p>\n
Fox said: \u201cWe\u2019re past the watershed so I can say this: show me a single self-respecting man that would like to climb into bed with that woman, ever, ever. That little woman has been spoon-fed oppression day after day after day, starting with the lie of the gender wage gap.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need strong, powerful amazing women who make great points for themselves,\u201d he continued. \u201cWe don\u2019t need these feminist 4.0 (so-called fourth wave feminists). They are pathetic and embarrassing. Who\u2019d want to s*** that?\u201d<\/p>\n
Smiling, Wootton made a belated attempt to defend Ms Evans. He said: \u201cI\u2019m just going to provide a touch of balance from her because she did actually respond to this earlier today, saying that she regretted her comments, but she didn\u2019t apologise. Uh, yes. So there you go. And she\u2019s a very beautiful woman Laurence, very beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ava Evans, a political correspondent for online news site Joe, was not on the programme but was subjected to derogatory comments <\/p>\n
(PA \/ Channel 5)<\/p>\n
After an uproar on social media, Wootton apologised to Ms Evans on Tuesday night before a further statement on Wednesday in which he said his on-air smile was the result of \u201cshock and surprise in an off-guard moment\u201d. <\/p>\n
\u201cI should have intervened immediately to challenge offensive and misogynistic remarks,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
However, Fox doubled down on his rant, claiming to \u201cstand by every word.\u201d The 45-year-old former actor and Reclaim Party founder is a frequent provocateur; in 2020, he claimed an appearance on Question Time resulted in him being \u201ccancelled from a 21-year acting career\u201d.<\/p>\n
On the criticism over his exchange with Wootton, he tweeted: \u201cIf a woman wants to go on television and belittle male suicide, she is totally within her rights to do so and not apologise, just as I am totally within my rights to say that I wouldn\u2019t want to s*** a hyper offended 4th wave feminist and not apologise…. It\u2019s called free speech.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fox doubled down on his rant on Wednesday, claiming to \u201cstand by every word of what I said\u201d (PA)<\/p>\n
(PA Archive)<\/p>\n
He later shared a screenshot of a private conversation, apparently with Wootton, showing the pair joking about his performance. <\/p>\n
Ms Evans said she was left feeling \u201cphysically sick\u201d. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a network problem, this is a presenter, guest, gallery, production issue that is nothing to do with me. I just so happen to be the person they\u2019re talking about but I\u2019m not in the conversation\u2026 It\u2019s not to do with me and that\u2019s what makes me feel most sick about it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Later, appearing on the BBC\u2019s Newscast podcast, Ms Evans confirmed she had received an apology for Fox\u2019s remarks.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was an email from the editor \u2013 a very gracious email \u2013 basically telling me that what Fox said was not representative of the rest of the GB News outfit,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s actually probably the best apology I could have gotten. Honestly, not to cast doubt on our media landscape, but I didn\u2019t actually think anything was going to happen.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t want to say I\u2019m pleased by it. I just think that\u2019s probably the best outcome I could have hoped for.\u201d<\/p>\n
A spokesman said Ofcom had received a number of complaints about the episode and was assessing them against its rules.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emails A row over Laurence Fox\u2019s sexist abuse of a female journalist on GB News has escalated with presenter Dan Wootton now suspended by the channel. The 40-year-old host was […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2463,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[173],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2462","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n