Alexandra Fouché
Live reporter

We told you earlier that Laurence Fox was expecting to get the sack today because of controversial comments he made about journalist Ava Evans, but that doesn't seem to have happened so far.

So we'll be pausing our coverage of the fallout from his comments shortly, but before we go, here's a recap of what's happened today:

• GB News boss Angelos Frangopoulos has told the BBC he was "appalled" by Fox's comments about a female journalist, saying they were "not in keeping with the values of us as a business"
• GB News presenter Reverend Calvin Robinson later announced he had been suspended by the broadcaster
• Political reporter Ava Evans has said Fox's insults about her were "really nasty" and that she has since received threats online
• But while Fox has acknowledged his comments were "crass", in an interview with YouTube channel Triggernometry, he said he'd told GB News what he was going to say in advance

In the meantime, we have more here about Laurence Fox and how the actor became a political activist.

Image source, PA Media

There has also been much discussion about this evening's edition of the weekly GB News programme hosted by Conservative Party Deputy Chairman Lee Anderson, in which he will interview Suella Braverman.

Asked why a senior Conservative MP, not a journalist, had been chosen to interview the home secretary, GB News chief executive Angelos Frangopoulos earlier defended the decision on BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

He told Today co-host Amol Rajan he was "missing the whole point of what GB News is about".

Frangopoulos explained: "We are not journalism for journalists. We're journalism for people, and that is a really big difference. The conversations that happen between people like Suella Braverman and Lee Anderson - they are conversations, they're not interviews in the same sense" as on traditional news programmes, he said.

The question of whether politicians should also be allowed to be presenters is a hot topic.

A GB News interview by two other sitting Conservative MPs with the chancellor was recently found to have broken media regulator Ofcom's code because it failed to include an "appropriately wide range of significant views".

Image source, Getty Images

Laurence Fox normally hosts his weekly show at 20:00 on Friday nights, but won't be on air this evening following his suspension.

Instead, his slot will be filled by Patrick Christys - who will have already been on air for three hours this afternoon.

In between his double shifts in the channel's schedule are shows hosted by Apprentice winner-turned-broadcaster Michelle Dewberry and Conservative Party Deputy Chairman Lee Anderson.

Dan Wootton isn't normally on air on Fridays - he usually fronts the 21:00 slot from Mondays to Thursdays. In recent days, his place has been filled by Mark Dolan, who also hosts at that time every Friday.

Several hours after Reverend Calvin Robinson's announcement, GB News has now confirmed, external that it has suspended the presenter "pending an investigation".

Robinson posted earlier today defending his colleague Dan Wootton, who was also suspended in the aftermath of the Laurence Fox controversy.

GB News presenter Nana Akua told the BBC’s Newscast on Thursday that on her own show, she would “instantly” shut down and demand an apology of anyone making the kinds of comments Laurence Fox made about Ava Evans.

“That was a misogynistic, nonsense comment that GB News would not stand by and neither would I,” Akua said.

She said a lot of people had been hailing freedom of speech as a defence for the comments, but she stressed that freedom of speech could not be conflated with being “misogynistic, sexist or racist”, which she said would not be allowed on GB News.

Asked whether she had a theory about how it came to those comments, Akua said she didn’t want to speculate, but that she thought “Laurence was talking as though he is a 17-year-old around his mates in a pub and not actually respecting the space that he was in”.

Laurence Fox has been particularly vocal on X, formerly known as Twitter, over the past few days as he has responded to posts criticising his comments about Ava Evans and tried to give his version of events.

On Wednesday, he wrote a long post about being cancelled, while adding that "words cannot express how much disdain I have for the false virtue of the cancel culture"., external

On the same day, he posted a screenshot of a text exchange between the pair after the show, external that some interpreted as contradicting Wootton's comments about not finding his comments funny, saying "honesty is the best policy".

Despite maintaining he was standing by his comments at first, external (on Wednesday), he went on to post an apology video on the social media site last night, saying his tone was "demeaning" and his point "could have expressed in a better way"., external

The owner of X, formerly known as Twitter, has responded to a post by Laurence Fox on his platform.

Fox posted a video on X on Thursday in which he talked about the misogynistic comments he made about Ava Evans, mental health and the debate about a newspaper headline on PM Rishi Sunak being urged to appoint a minister for men.

In his response, Musk simply says:

Laurence Fox has wrapped up his interview with YouTube channel Triggernometry.

He hit out at GB News, saying that before going on air he'd told them what he was going to say about Ava Evans, "and they were giggling away right up until the mob came for them'".

Fox also attacked Ofcom and what he described as widespread efforts to shut down GB News.

He also suggested he would have to leave the UK to find future employment, because he'd been "cancelled in [his] own country."

Harrison Jones
BBC News

Presenters of live shows have long faced difficulties in dealing with guests who veer off script in unexpected ways.

But some have won praise for the sort of quick and effective responses critics say was lacking in Dan Wootton’s interaction with Laurence Fox.

Here are some better-known examples:

• Two weeks ago, Iain Dale abruptly told a caller on his LBC show, external to “go to hell”, after learning that he was breeding American bully XL dogs and selling them to drug dealers

• On Channel 5 in 2020, Jeremy Vine was unexpectedly sworn at by a guest who had begun his call by explaining that he had never bought his wife a Valentine’s card. The presenter appeared shocked and mildly amused, before issuing a quick apology

• On a talkSPORT show, external five years ago, presenter Lynsey Hipgrave challenged a caller who referred to her as “love” twice and “darling” once, despite him using her fellow (male) host’s first name. Hipgrave told him: “You don't need to call me darling” and ended the call

• In a lengthier exchange on LBC, external last year, Sangita Myska accused a caller of being a racist, after he suggested the then future PM Rishi Sunak did not “love” his country as much as former PM Boris Johnson

• In 2013, Stephen Nolan was taking a BBC Radio 5 Live call when the speaker started talking about people who had been “caught” fraudulently claiming disability benefit. The caller began to mention his sister-in-law, before Stephen cut him off and raised legal concerns

"It just feels really nasty," journalist Ava Evans, who is at the centre of the media storm surrounding misogynistic comments made about her on GB News, told the BBC's Newscast on Wednesday.

She says she has received a number of threats and that she might have to look over her shoulder when going into her house.

Evans said she was worried about the comments online calling to shut GB News down and fire all the journalists, and stressed that she did not blame the young producers of Dan Wootton's show "at all."

"I blame that man in the chair who has umpteenth broadcast experience and should have known better," Evans said.

Laurence Fox is speaking as a guest on Triggernometry, a self-described "free speech YouTube show and podcast".

Addressing his comments about Ava Evans, he admitted that they were "crass" and "disrespectful", but says they have not "merited the wall-to-wall, channel-to-channel, politician, media, everyone, condemnation".

He repeated his earlier comments about Evans being a "misandrist", but added: "I was also trying to be funny."

The GB News TV channel launched in June 2021, promising to "change the face of news and debate in the UK".

It was the first television news start-up since Sky News launched in 1989.

A number of big names were recruited including former BBC presenter Andrew Neil, ITV veteran Alastair Stewart and ex-Sun journalist Dan Wootton.

Talked up as being Britain's answer to Fox News, its chief executive, Angelos Frangopoulos, insisted it was committed to “impartial journalism".

Its editorial charter, external says it values "freedom of expression, but not by causing unjustifiable offence or exposing our audience to harm".

But things quickly turned sour for the frontman and chairman Andrew Neil.

He presented only nine shows and resigned from the channel just three months after it went to air.

He said he had become a "minority of one" within management, but said he would let people "make up their own minds" over whether his exit was because the channel was too right-wing.

The channel is regulated by Ofcom, but has courted several controversies over accuracy, impartiality and tone - the latest leading to the suspension of two presenters.

It had 2.8 million viewers last month, according to ratings body Barb.

The channel is funded by Dubai-based private investment firm Legatum and hedge fund boss Sir Paul Marshall.

Social commentator Toby Young, who is director of the Free Speech Union which advocates for freedom of speech, has posted a message of support for Laurence Fox on X, formerly Twitter, external, saying he hoped he wouldn't be fired today.

GB News will be "on borrowed time" if they don't stand up for Dan Wootton, presenter Calvin Robinson said in a lengthy post on X, formerly Twitter, earlier this morning. He has since been suspended.

He went on to say that they would all be "next in the firing line" if they failed to do so and that appearing on GB News was not just a job, but a "mission".

He also criticised "careerist ambitious" people on GB News that "are worse than the woke mob, because these vultures are giving the mob ammunition". He also called out his bosses, saying they were scared of Ofcom, of the "woke mob" and of running out of money.

Robinson ended his long message by saying that standing up for Wootton was "standing up for the very idea of GB News".

Image source, Getty Images

GB News presenter Reverend Calvin Robinson has announced on X, external, formerly Twitter, that he has been suspended by GB News.

The presenter had posted earlier this morning about refusing to appear on Dan Wootton's show without him and further defended his colleague while saying GB News bosses were "scared".

Angelos Frangopoulos told BBC Radio 4's Today programme Laurence Fox's comments should not have gone to air.

Image source, Getty Images

New Zealand-born journalist Dan Wootton has been hosting Dan Wootton Tonight on GB News since 2021.

He called his path to GB News “unconventional”, saying he always he knew he would live in the UK one day. Wootton got a job as the News of the World’s TV reporter in 2007, making his way up to showbiz editor before the paper closed in 2011.

During this period, he made the move into presenting, covering showbiz news on ITV’s Lorraine programme. He joined the Sun in 2013, making his way up to executive editor.

Last week, GB News said it was continuing to “monitor" allegations against the presenter, though these had not been "proved by an independent body".

The allegations, first reported by the Byline Times, include using fake online identities and offering money to others for explicit material of themselves.

In July, Wootton told viewers he had made "errors of judgement", but strongly denies any criminality.

After the latest row involving Laurence Fox’s comments about journalist Ava Evans on his show, Wootton has had his contract with MailOnline - where he writes a column - terminated.

Two presenters suspended and a news channel facing thousands of Ofcom complaints.

How did we get here? Let's recap:

• On Monday, journalist Ava Evans is asked during a debate on BBC Politics Live about a newspaper headline on PM Rishi Sunak being urged to appoint a minister for men - she says "a lot of ministers bandy this about to - I'm sorry - make an enemy out of women"
• Appearing as a contributor on Dan Wootton's GB News programme on Tuesday, Laurence Fox sparks controversy when he asks what "self-respecting man" would "climb into bed" with Evans
• A clip of the exchange goes viral of social media, drawing widespread criticism and accusations of sexism
• Fox and Wootton are suspended and Ofcom announces it is investigating GB News after receiving 7,300 complaints

• Fox later says he is "sorry for demeaning" Evans, while Wootton apologises and admits he should have intervened
• MailOnline on Thursday terminates columnist Wootton's contract "following events this week"
• On Friday, the boss of GB News Angelos Frangopoulos tells the BBC he is "appalled" by the remarks
• Fox says he believes he will be sacked on Friday

Image source, Getty Images

Laurence Fox made his name as an actor in films like The Hole and Gosford Park, but is perhaps best known for his role in Inspector Morse spin-off Lewis.

Acting very much runs in his family. Fox’s father, James, won a Bafta for his performance in the 1963 film The Servant and has also starred in Downton Abbey. His uncle Edward and cousins Emilia and Freddie also act.

In 2007, Fox married actor and star of Doctor Who Billie Piper, and the pair divorced in 2016.

The split came shortly after Fox was forced to apologise for swearing at a heckler while performing in a play.

In recent years, he has repositioned himself as a right-wing commentator, activist and aspiring politician, but has frequently caused controversy.

When the pandemic took hold in 2019, he expressed scepticism about the Covid vaccine and opposed lockdowns during the pandemic.

In 2021, Fox announced his candidacy for London mayor under the banner of the Reclaim Party, which he founded; on its website, the party says it exists "for patriotism and believes hard work should be rewarded".

Fox also stood in the recent Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election, hoping to replace former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, winning 714 votes.

Political reporter Ava Evans has called Laurence Fox’s insults about her on GB News "really nasty", adding that she has since received threats online.

She says she doesn’t blame the show’s producers, rather “that man in the chair” who she says “should have known better” with all his years of experience.