Oh dear. It seems that the self-proclaimed ‘People’s Channel’ has been at it again. GB News has been forced to formally suspend both Laurence Fox and Dan Wootton after comments on his show last night about the political commentator Ava Evans. In a segment ostensibly responding to Evans’ comments about male mental health, Fox called her 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.’

Laurence Fox just did a whole speech on GB News on why men apparently won’t shag me ? pic.twitter.com/XoQD0DUQVm

— Ava-Santina (@AvaSantina) September 26, 2023

As Wootton laughed, Fox continued: ‘We need powerful, strong amazing women who make great points for themselves. We don’t need these sort of feminist 4.0. They’re pathetic and embarrassing. Who’d want to shag that?’ This had Wootton was laughing so much he struggled to think of a follow-up question and belatedly tried to cite some of Evans’ tweets. Evans released the video, triggering an avalanche of criticism. GB News has had to release a statement saying that they have ‘suspended Laurence Fox while we continue our investigation into comments he made on the channel last night.’ Not sure much investigative journalism is needed to clear this one up…

But then the twist. Wootton, fearing for his own future, posted a succession of tweets in which he claimed that his reaction was ‘inappropriate’ and that ‘I was in no way amused by the comments’, In spite of the, erm, video evidence to the contrary. This triggered Fox, who has hit back with a tweet firmly dropping Wootton in it, sharing screenshots of the two giggling over the episode last night. Awkward…

Honesty is the best policy. https://t.co/snrQdY9Zbe pic.twitter.com/gQfg0P3pKA

— Laurence Fox (@LozzaFox) September 27, 2023

This has now blown up into a question of the probity of GB News, with those who often decry cancel culture joining the attack. ‘Sorry, @LozzaFox I defend free speech but you’re bang out of order. Women don’t exist just to be men’s playthings,’ said Julia Hartley-Brewer. ‘This wasn’t fair comment, it was just appalling misogyny’, said Telegraph writer and GB News presenter Camilla Tominey. Piers Morgan has referred to Fox as a ‘disgusting piece of misogynist trash.’

All this comes at a time when GB News’s part-owner Paul Marshall is reportedly trying to buy the Daily Telegraph – and brandish his credentials as a responsible media owner. Mr S feels this has some way left to run.