Nigel Farage’s highly anticipated return to GB News left many unimpressed.
Nigel Farage returned to his 7pm slot on GB News this week (Image: GB News)
Nigel Farage has sparked major Ofcom complaints just days after reprising his 7pm GB News show. The Reform UK leader initially stepped away from hosting on the programme in March to focus on local and parliamentary campaigns. The politician confirmed his comeback on social media by resharing a post from GB News on X/Twitter and adding: “After 6 long months, I am back on GB News! Make sure you are tuned in at 7pm every Tuesday – Thursday to hear unscripted debate and my unfiltered views on the stories of the day.”
On Wednesday (September 16), Farage was joined by former Tory chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng and investigative journalist David Shipley to discuss the Chagos Islands, the Piddington vote and Andy Burnham‘s response to the locals. As the show was in full swing, some viewers took to social media with complaints, as one addressed the UK’s official media regulator for clarification on the rules.
The politician sparked a major Ofcom row live on air (Image: GB News)
Taking to X, one furious viewer questioned: “Dear [Ofcom], Please can you clarify to the nation why this is allowed under your current broadcasting rules? A sitting MP [sometimes] on a TV channel he partly owns, delivering a party political broadcast on behalf of Reform UK? Seriously … WTF?”
Another followed suit: “[@Ofcom], why are there no rules preventing this? If other MPs start adopting this approach, the long-term impact on democratic trust will be catastrophic. Action is needed before this becomes standard practice.”
A third remarked: “I truly do not understand how this is legal. Ofcom, this Farage GBNews nightly platform is shameful. The other parties do not enjoy such an advantage; I cannot understand why this is permitted. It is very unfair,” fumed one.
Despite the backlash, one fan defended the Clacton MP and stated: “Nigel Farage owns a small minority stake in GB News. While he is a shareholder, he is not a primary owner: his shares represent less than 1% of the company’s total voting stock.”
However, in 2024, Ofcom confirmed that Farage would be allowed to present his GB News programme during the general election campaign. At the time, the media regulator said there was no clear consensus among the British public to stop politicians from presenting shows on news channels.
Last year, GB News won its judicial review of Ofcom‘s decisions that two shows hosted by former MP, Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, breached the broadcasting code. This marked the first time the watchdog has lost such a case, as the High Court judgment, handed down by Mrs Justice Collins Rice, concluded that Ofcom’s rulings were unlawful.
The judgement said Ofcom’s initial rulings – that the 9 May and 13 June 2023 broadcasts were in breach of its codes on “due impartiality and due accuracy in news” – were unlawful.