London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jun 20, 2025

Free speech news channel GB News ‘cancels’ host for taking BLM knee live on air – reports

Free speech news channel GB News ‘cancels’ host for taking BLM knee live on air – reports

GB News, a free-speech-centred UK news channel that launched just last month, has reportedly taken one of its hosts off air “indefinitely” for taking a knee “rejecting racism” on his show.
According to The Guardian, which spoke to unnamed sources at GB News, presenter Guto Harri has been “indefinitely taken off air” after he upset many viewers of the news channel by controversially taking the knee on Tuesday.

Harri’s decision to take the knee caused such a storm that a subsequent boycott resulted in some GB News shows receiving zero viewers this week. Because of this, GB News management “felt the need to cut Harri loose,” The Guardian reported.

Unnamed friends of the television host told the newspaper that GB News is “becoming an absurd parody of what it proclaimed to be” by “not defending free speech and combatting cancel culture,” and instead “replicating it on the far right.”

They argued that Harri did not breach any editorial standards and instead was “sacked for offending the lynch mob.”

GB News – which is chaired by former BBC presenter Andrew Neil – issued a statement on the kneeling incident on Thursday, claiming that though it’s “against racism in all its forms” and does not have “a company line on taking the knee,” Harri’s gesture “was an unacceptable breach of our standards.”

“We let both sides of the argument down by oversimplifying a very complex issue,” the channel concluded.

Harri, however, defended himself by claiming that GB News “is – above all – about free speech” and “having the debates others won’t.”

“English footballers have made it clear that when they take the knee they are making a clear statement about rejecting racism (not endorsing the narrow divisive aims of BLM). I support them,” he declared.

GB News boasts in its editorial charter that the channel stands for “putting facts first,” having “respect for opinions and those expressing them,” and the “right of every individual to form and share their views.”

Social media users reacted to the news that Harri had been taken off air with confusion on Friday.

The i newspaper’s political editor Hugo Gye called GB News an “interesting idea which deserved a chance to succeed,” but noted that starting “a channel to promote free speech and oppose cancel culture, then suspending a presenter for taking a knee, is incredibly bizarre.”

ITV News reporter Gary Burgess tweeted, “I think it’s evident where the audience is. Trying to please everyone pleases nobody.”

Since its launch on June 13, GB News has struggled to take on its larger UK television news competitors, gaining an audience reach of around 2.7 million in its first week before dropping to under 1.4 million in its third. For comparison, the BBC reaches 7.5 million people on average while Sky News reaches around 4.5 million.

However, GB News has experienced no shortage of funding, having secured £60 million before its launch from investors around the world, including a Dubai-based private investment firm and American television company Discovery, Inc.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
Trump Organization Launches 5G Mobile Network and Golden Handset
Towcester Hosts 2025 English Greyhound Derby Amid Industry Scrutiny
Gary Oldman and David Beckham Knighted in King's Birthday Honours
Over 30,000 Lightning Strikes Recorded Across UK During Overnight Storms
Princess of Wales Returns to Public Duties at Trooping the Colour
Red Arrows Use Sustainable Fuel in Historic Trooping the Colour Flypast
Former Welsh First Minister Addresses Unionist Concerns Over Irish Language
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
France Bars Israeli Arms Companies from Paris Defense Expo
King Charles Leads Tribute to Air India Crash Victims at Trooping the Colour
Jack Pitchford Embarks on 200-Mile Walk to Support Stem Cell Charity
Surrey Hikers Take on Challenge of Climbing 11 Peaks in a Single Day
UK Deploys RAF Jets to Middle East Amid Israel-Iran Tensions
Two Skydivers Die in 'Tragic Accident' at Devon Airfield
Sainsbury's and Morrisons Accused of Displaying Prohibited Tobacco Ads
UK Launches National Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
Families Seek Closure After Air India Crash
Gold Emerges as Global Safe Haven Amid Uncertainty
Trump Reports $57 Million Earnings from Crypto Venture
Trump's Military Parade Sparks Concerns Over Authoritarianism
Nationwide 'No Kings' Protests Challenge Trump's Leadership
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
Germany Holds First Veterans Celebration Since WWII
U.S. Health Secretary Dismisses CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee
Minnesota Lawmaker Melissa Hortman and Husband Killed in Targeted Attack; Senator John Hoffman and Wife Injured
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
×