GB News is facing a deepening crisis after its director of programming, John McAndrew, resigned and presenter Guto Harri was taken off air for taking the knee in solidarity with the England football team against racist abuse. The right-wing channel, launched just over four weeks ago, is also dealing with falling ratings, staff departures, and a planned relaunch.
McAndrew, a veteran of Sky News and Euronews, was considered the channel’s second-in-command and played a key role in recruiting established presenters. Sources suggest he resigned after pressure to shift focus from local reporting and free debate to culture war topics. His departure follows that of senior producer Gill Penlington, who left earlier this week.
Harri’s suspension came after a viewer backlash, with complaints that the channel had gone “woke”. GB News said taking the knee was “unacceptable” and breached its editorial code, though friends of Harri called the decision “ridiculous” and accused the channel of replicating cancel culture. The channel’s editorial charter commits to “respect for opinions” and “the right to form and share views”.
The turmoil has been compounded by technical difficulties since launch and speculation about chairman Andrew Neil’s involvement. Neil, who took an extended holiday after two weeks, tweeted that start-ups are “fraught and fractious” but expressed confidence in the channel’s future. Meanwhile, presenter Alastair Stewart revealed he had broken his hip in a horse-riding accident and would be off air.
