GB News hit with over 1,000 Ofcom complaints after presenter calls LGBT+ people ‘paedos’

GB News has been deed with much than 1,000 Ofcom complaints aft a presenter called LGBT+ radical ‘paedos’.

During the channel’s Headliners programme connected January 22, Josh Howie made the comment, sparking outrage and launching a run to halt GB News ‘spouting hatred’.

The ‘comedian’ had been discussing a code from a Washington Bishop urging President Donald Trump to ‘have mercy’ connected marginalised groups successful America, including the LGBTQ+ assemblage and immigrants, immoderate of whom, she said, ‘fear for their lives’.

Talking astir the statement, Howie said: ‘The religion that she belongs to, the Diocese, it talks astir the afloat inclusion of LGBTQ+ persons.’

‘I conscionable privation to accidental that includes paedos,’ helium added, shouting the past connection to the camera.

Just 2 days later, chap GB News presenter Michelle Dewberry besides said, during a treatment connected trans issues: ‘Some of these fellas that spell astir dressed arsenic women with their fake bits successful their bras, they are deviants, rather frankly.’

Howie’s comments person sparked immense backlash and prompted much than 1,000 complaints, with 954 of those successful the past week.

An Ofcom spokesperson confirmed to Metro: ‘Complaints alleged a remark by the big linked LGBT+ members of a religion with paedophilia.

‘These are further complaints to those reported past week, and the cumulative full is present 1,227.’

Following the outrage, Howie addressed the backlash successful different GB News show, saying helium ‘made a gag astir however going against kid extortion mightiness beryllium a spot affluent from a church, and I quoted from their website, and said, the benignant of religion that she belongs to talks astir the afloat inclusion of LGBTQ+ persons, I conscionable privation to say, that includes paedos.’

‘It was a joke,’ helium claimed.

He past said helium has ‘followed the pb of homosexual campaigners who privation to instrumentality backmost the LGB from the TQIA2S+’ for respective years.

‘There exists nary definitive database of who is included successful the Q and the Q+,’ helium said.

‘And that’s a problem, due to the fact that radical advocating for paedophilia to normalise it accidental they’re included.’

‘I didn’t accidental LGB are paedophiles,’ helium continued. ‘I didn’t accidental transpeople are paedophiles.’

‘What I americium saying is that for immoderate radical the afloat inclusion of the LBGTQ+ includes paedophile.’

‘I tin spot wherefore immoderate radical mightiness deliberation I was being homophobic, erstwhile successful fact, I was being the opposite,’ helium claimed.

In the segment, helium apologised ‘to anybody who thought I was making an violative comment’ and past joked helium was a ‘gay icon’.

Since Howie’s archetypal comment, the Good Law Project has created a run urging radical to kick to Ofcom, with the website signaling much than 63,000 complaints astatine the clip of writing.

It reads: ‘GB News is nary alien to spouting hatred and toxic lies. They instrumentality pridefulness successful it, and unreal the rules don’t matter.

‘But they do. And they indispensable beryllium enforced.

‘On 22 January, Josh Howie, 1 of their presenters, repeated a unsafe homophobic slur that links the LGBTQ+ assemblage to paedophilia.

‘It’s intelligibly amerciable to disturbance up hatred by broadcasting a poisonous myth. Like GB News, Howie thinks he’s supra the law. But he’s wrong. And we’re going to amusement him how.’

Howie was besides branded ‘utterly appalling’ by radical submitting complaints via the Good Law Project campaign.

‘Horrified by this,’ @ifwalk wrote, portion @tracey.jewitt said: ‘Made maine gasp erstwhile I heard this! Totally disgraceful.’

‘Absolutely sickening,’ @kathjcass added.

‘We cannot judge this communicative being acceptable,’ @lukedeanc said.

@kerrijane20 wrote: ‘Absolutely sickened by what helium said. Have ne'er complained to Ofcom earlier – but this is truthful hateful. Get that antheral disconnected air, fto unsocial an apology.’

‘That is utterly disgusting and the mode helium says it excessively arsenic if he’s being funny. Gross,’ @beanzy.bsky.social meantime wrote connected Bluesky.

@oldmanrambling.bsky.social said: ‘This is not a quality presumption but a sewer of hate-filled propaganda being fed to the gullible. It has been warned and sanctioned truthful galore times but it is clip that it was booted disconnected our airwaves. Vile.’

Metro has approached GB News for comment.

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