Dan Wootton leaves GB News to launch his own 'independent platform'

February 23, 2024

Dan Wootton has left GB News to launch his own media brand, the presenter has announced.

He said in a statement on X: "I have left GB News to launch my own independent platform Dan Wootton Outspoken which will feature a brand new daily news and opinion show from later this year that will NOT be regulated by the Ofcommunist censors.

"Free speech in Britain is in peril!"

The 40-year-old also described Ofcom as "a muzzle that bows to the woke mob" and called for the regulator to be "summoned in by this supposedly Conservative government to be reined in".

Wootton's time on GB News was marked by controversy after he failed to condemn Laurence Fox last year, then a guest on his show, for making derogatory comments about political correspondent Ava Evans.

His departure from the broadcaster comes a day after the regulator ruled that Fox's "misogynistic" comments broke broadcasting rules.

Ofcom also found Wootton's reaction and "limited challenge" in response to Fox "did not mitigate the potential for offence".

It added: "Rather, they exacerbated it by contributing to the narrative in which a woman's value was judged by her physical appearance."

Read more: Who is Dan Wootton?

Wootton did not provide further details of his future plans in his X statement, but a website appears to have been set up by the presenter offering a range of paid subscription products for his "Outspoken" platform.

They include a £150 per year "founding member" plan offering group Zoom calls with Wootton, "subscriber-only posts" and the opportunity to "communicate directly with Dan at any time".

In a note sent to staff by GB News, the broadcaster confirmed: "Dan is no longer employed by GB News, and we thank him for his contribution and wish him well with his future endeavours."

It came as GB News said on Tuesday that its losses had risen by nearly 40% last year. The company made a loss after tax of £43m in 2023, compared to £31m in 2022.

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The Metropolitan Police announced last month it would take no further action against Wootton following a five-month investigation into separate allegations against him.

At the time the claims surfaced, in articles in The Byline Times, the presenter admitted making some "errors of judgement" but always denied any criminality.

In a statement issued by his lawyer in February, he said: "I have now been completely cleared in two investigations by the Metropolitan and Scottish police, who have confirmed they will be taking no further action.

"While I knew this would always be the outcome, the process is now the punishment, with social media acting as the executioner."

Wootton's former employers, The Sun's publishers News UK, and MailOnline's publishers DMG Media, have also been conducting investigations into him. Those findings have not yet been made public.

He was previously the showbiz editor of the News Of The World newspaper and showbiz correspondent of ITV's Lorraine. Wootton has also won showbiz reporter of the year at the British Press Awards three times.

Sky News has contacted Ofcom for comment.

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