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As it happenedended

Laurence Fox – latest: GB News suspends presenter Calvin Robinson as Ava Evans issues new response

Fox has said he’s completed a ‘disciplinary hearing’ but cannot ‘speak freely’ about it

Athena Stavrou,Jane Dalton,Matt Mathers
Saturday 30 September 2023 11:51 BST
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Laurence Fox says he expects to be fired issuing half-apology for GB News sexist rant

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GB News presenter Calvin Robinson has said the broadcaster has suspended him after he shared his support for Dan Wootton over Laurence Fox’s comments on his show.

Robinson, who hosts a religious current affairs programme on the channel, said in a social media post on Friday that he would not appear on Dan Wootton Tonight without the suspended presenter, claiming “if he falls, we all fall”.

Wootton and Fox, an actor-turned-politician, was suspended from the channel after Fox made a series of remarks about political correspondent Ava Evans, which included asking “who would want to shag that?” during Wootton’s show on Tuesday.

On Friday, Fox said he had completed a “disciplinary hearing” ahead of his rumoured sacking from GB News.

Meanwhile, Ms Evans spoke out about the comments, describing them as “unforgiveable”.

Fox claims media ‘rescinded offers’ after requesting live interviews only

Laurence Fox claims that media channels ‘rescinded interview offers’, after he requested it to be ‘live and unedited’.

Fox said in a post on X that “every” mainstream media channel had apparently called him on Tuesday evening following his controversial appearence on Dan Wootton’s show.

The former actor says he was “happy to do an interview as long as it was live and unedited”, which led to them consequently ‘rescinding’ the offer, according to Fox.

He will instead appear in an exclusive live interview this afternoon on the TRIGGERnometry podcast.

Athena Stavrou29 September 2023 12:25

Third GB News presenter ‘suspended'

GB News presenter Reverend Calvin Robinson claims he has been suspended by GB News after refusing to appear on the Dan Wootton’s show without the presenter.

The channel have not yet commented on or confirmed his suspension.

Earlier, Rev Robinson wrote on X that he “will not be appearing on Dan Wootton Tonight without Dan Wootton.”

The British cleric and conservative political commentator added: “We failed as a community to stand up for Mark Steyn. If we let them do the same to Dan, it’s over. The channel will be on borrowed time, we will all be the next in the firing line.”

He also claimed that channel bosses were “scared” and encouraged his colleagues to ‘stand up’ for the suspended host and that “If he [Wootton] falls, we all fall”.

Just three hours after his post, Rev Robinson posted that he had “been suspended from GB News”.

Laurence Fox quoted the post and wrote: “The home of cancel culture continues its cull of the courageous. @GBNEWS showing itself for just what it is. Feeding the mob more and more meat in the hope they will eventually become satisfied.”

Athena Stavrou29 September 2023 13:03

Fox says he was “trying to be funny”

Laurence Fox says he was “trying to be funny” when he made sexist comments on GB News.

Speaking about his controversial appearnce on Dan Wootton’s show on Tuesday evening Fox said: “I was also trying to be funny. Big mistake.”

The former actor admitted on the TRIGGERnometry podcast on Friday afternoon that his comments were “crass” and “crap” but said he doesn’t think they have merited the “wall to wall” media attention they have received.

Athena Stavrou29 September 2023 13:12

Laurence Fox says he has ‘not been sacked yet’

Laurence Fox has ‘not been sacked yet’, the former actor said on Friday afternoon.

Speaking on the TRIGGERnometry podcast, Fox said he has not yet been fired by the broadcasters, following his suspension on Wednesday morning.

Fox claims he has a disciplinary hearing at 2pm on Friday and added he is: “Hired by them [GB News] for the next 20 minutes probably”

The controversial figure said yesterday that he was expecting to be axed by the channel following his comments about Ava Evans made on Tuesday evening.

Athena Stavrou29 September 2023 13:17

Fox ‘found out about suspension from a mobile news alert'

Laurence Fox claims he found out about his GB News suspension from a ‘mobile phone news alert’.

Fox was suspended by the broadcaster on Wednesday morning following sexist comments he made about female journalist Ava Evans. His colleague Dan Wootton was also suspended shortly after on Wednesday afternoon.

Speaking on the TRIGGERnometry podcast on Friday afternoon, Fox said he had not heard from GB News since the uproar and found out about his suspension from a news notification on his phone.

Athena Stavrou29 September 2023 13:40

Fox concerned he will ‘have to leave the UK'

Laurence fox says he is ‘concerned’ he will “have to leave the UK” following his GB News rant controversy.

The 45-year-old said “I’m going to have to leave the UK I think. That’s my main concern,” speaking on the TRIGGERnometry podcast on Friday afternoon.

He added: “I’ve got to make a living. I’ve got two kids to clothe and feed.”

The controversial figure has faced uproar and suspension from GB News following sexist comments he made about a woman journalist.

He added that he is ‘expecting to be axed’ at a disciplinary hearing at 2pm this afternoon.

Athena Stavrou29 September 2023 14:05

Fox denies comments were ‘misogynistic'

Laurence Fox says he does not believe his comments about a female journalist were ‘misogynistic’ but admits they were “disrespecful”.

The suspended GB News presenter also apologised for the “poorly expressed” comments that “demeaned” Ava Evans.

Speaking about his comments on the TRIGGERnometry podcast on Friday afternoon, Fox said: “I don’t think it’s misogony but I think it’s disrespectful.”

The actor-turned-politician made a series of remarks about political correspondent Ms Evans, which included asking “who would want to s*** that?” during a discussion on Dan Wootton Tonight on Tuesday night.

Both Fox and Wootton, who could be heard laughing during the segment, were suspended by GB News amid an internal investigation and a probe by regulator Ofcom, who received around 7,300 complaints about the episode.

Athena Stavrou29 September 2023 14:30

Elon Musk weighs in on GB News debate

Elon Musk says “men are killing themselves from sadness,” in response to the Laurence Fox controversy.

Laurence Fox has been subject to public outrage since he made sexist comments about a woman journalist on Tuesday on GB News.

The segment, hosted by Dan Wootton who is also suspended from the channel, discussed comments made by Ava Evans in relation to male suicide.

Fox admits the comments made about Ms Evans were “disrespectful”.

Replying to a video posted on X by Fox, Musk said: “Men are killing themselves from sadness.”

Athena Stavrou29 September 2023 14:59

Voices: Why GB News Matters (but not in the way they think)

As Laurence Fox says GB News is no longer “the home of free speech”, Alan Rusbridger explains why the situation the controversial channel in in matters:

Opinion: Channelling anger: Why GB News matters (but not in the way they think)

The misogynistic double act of Laurence Fox and Dan Wootton will soon be forgotten, writes Alan Rusbridger, but it’s clear that GB News is hurtling down a path towards the kind of dangerous unregulated broadcasting landscape occupied by America’s Fox News, giggling as it goes. Here’s why it’s no laughing matter…

Athena Stavrou29 September 2023 16:00

Ava Evans defends comments on ‘minister for men’ debate

Ava Evans has shared her latest thoughts on the Laurence Fox controversy.

During a sit down on BBC’s Politics Live, Ava discussed male mental health, specifically the idea of a government minister for men.

“I feel like it feeds into the culture a little bit, this “minister for men” argument. In my mind there should be a minister for mental health which should be all encompassing,” she said.

She added: “It’s a crisis that’s syndemic throughout the country not specific to men and I think a lot of ministers come and bandi this about to sort of make an enemy out of women.”

On Dan Wootton’s GB News show on Tuesday, Fox then made sexist remarks regarding Ms Evans while discussing her comments.

In a post on X on Friday afternoon Ms Evans wrote: “Says something about the period of post truth we’re in that I can say we need a minister for mental health and somehow that’s been reimagined as laughing at suicide.”

Athena Stavrou29 September 2023 17:00

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