Daily Mail: GB News considers axing 'anti-woke' show after raft of complaints

Story from Daily Mail:

GB News is considering axing its 'anti-woke' comedy show following a raft of complaints over a remark made about the LGBTQ+ community.

One of the presenters of Headliners suggested on Saturday the panel show could be taken off air within two weeks.

The programme, which is a comic spin on traditional newspaper review shows, is currently at the centre of GB News's latest dispute with regulator Ofcom.

More than 1,200 viewers complained and 70,000 people signed a petition after comedian Josh Howie appeared to suggest the LGBTQ+ community included paedophiles.

The remarks were made during a segment on a sermon by a US bishop, which urged President Donald Trump to 'have mercy' on gay, lesbian and transgender children.

Mr Howie referenced a statement from the bishop's church calling for the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ people.

The comedian, who has insisted he was making a joke, said: 'I just want to say, that includes paedos, if you're doing the full inclusion.'

Now presenter Lewis Schaffer has suggested the future of Headliners, which has been running since 2021, has been thrown into doubt.

He wrote on X on Saturday: 'I'm heading into the studio! I've been told by management that the show will be on air for another two weeks while they decide what to do!'

Then at the start of the show, he added: 'We're not allowed to talk about it.' Leo Kearse, who was hosting Headliners, replied: 'Thank you for not talking about it.'

Mr Howie has insisted the controversial remarks were just him making a joke. He said: 'It's a comedy show. Where three comedians make jokes as we review the next day's newspapers.'

MailOnline has contacted GB News for comment.

It is the latest blow for the right-wing broadcaster which has been involved in a number of disputes with Ofcom.

GB News was last year handed a £100,000 fine for breaching impartiality rules in a programme featuring Rishi Sunak.

It followed an appearance by Mr Sunak on a February 12 broadcast called People's Forum: The Prime Minister, where he was asked questions by a studio audience.

An earlier investigation by Ofcom found that 'an appropriately wide range of significant viewpoints was not presented and given due weight'.

GB News is currently challenging the regulator's ruling.

Meanwhile in February, GB News won a High Court battle against Ofcom after it ruled the channel had breached impartiality rules in a programme presented by Jacob Rees-Mogg.

The judge ruled that the initial decisions which were made in May and June 2023 were unlawful.

Furthermore in 2023, GB News received 7,300 complaints and launched an internal investigation after former host Laurence Fox made a series of remarks about a female journalist.

The actor-turned-activist apologised for a 'demeaning' sexist rant about political correspondent Ms Evans, which included him asking 'who would want to sh*g that?.

Fox said he was angry with Ms Evans over comments she made on a BBC debate around male suicide and alleged she had a 'dislike of men in general', but apologised for 'demeaning her'.

Addressing the situation in a video posted to X, he said: 'If I was going to be sensible and I could replay it, I would say: 'Any self-respecting man in 2023 would probably be well advised to avoid a woman who possessed that worldview because she would probably cause him nothing but harm'.

'But what I did say was, you know, 'I wouldn't shag that', and all that sort of stuff, which is not right. It's demeaning to her, to Ava, so I'm sorry for demeaning you in that way.

'However angry I am with you still for doing that, and it demeans me because it's not representative of who I am.'