United Kingdom: GB News Hosts Hurl Sexist Comments at Journalists Ava Evans and Rosanna Lockwood
The broadcaster has suspended Laurence Fox in response
Location: United Kingdom, London
Date: September 26, 2023
GB News has taken action against host Laurence Fox following derogatory comments he made about journalist Ava Evans during a live discussion. Sexist comments made by GB News presenter Nick Dixon about journalist Rosanna Lockwood surfaced following the incident. The Coalition For Women In Journalism expresses deep concern over the evident misogyny directed at Evans and Lockwood. We commend GB News for taking the step to suspend Laurence Fox in response to his actions. We strongly urge the news outlet to prioritize implementing robust measures to prevent future recurrence of such incidents.
"We're past the watershed, so I can say this. Show me a single self-respecting man that would like to climb into bed with that woman - ever, ever. Who'd want to shag that?" Fox said, referring to PoliticsJOE journalist Ava Evans.
The sexist comments were made in response to Evans’ appearance at Politics Live on BBC in which she expressed reservations about a Conservative MP's proposal for a dedicated minister to address men’s mental health crisis.
"[Mental illness] is a crisis that's endemic throughout the country, not specific to men. And I think a lot of ministers bandy this about to - I'm sorry - make an enemy out of women," Evans said.
In a social media post on Wednesday morning, Laurence Fox, who unsuccessfully ran for London mayor in 2021, reiterated his firm stance, standing by every word he had spoken during the exchange.
Following the exchange on Dan Wootton Tonight, Evans took to the same social media platform and shared a video clip of the discussion between Fox and Wootton. In her post, she expressed feeling physically sick after Fox's speech, where he made derogatory, misogynistic comments about her.
During an appearance on Channel 5's Jeremy Vine show on Wednesday, Evans shared her hurt and shock over the incident, expressing her disappointment that it was broadcasted.
Wootton, the host who was seen laughing at points during Fox's remarks, issued his apology on social media, acknowledging that the comments were completely unacceptable and expressing that his reaction was due to shock. Upon reviewing the footage, he clarified that he did not find the comments amusing.
On Wednesday, Fox shared a screenshot of a conversation with a GB News employee, claiming that he had informed them of the nature of his intended comments prior to his appearance. However, he did not specify that he would use explicit language.
Following the controversy, GB News decided to formally suspend Fox and apologized to Evans.
Fox's comments received widespread condemnation, with Labour MP and shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry expressing disapproval. In a post on social media, Thornberry tagged media regulator Ofcom, seemingly urging them to intervene in the matter.
"British television should never subject women to this sort of abuse," said Thornberry.
“British television should never subject women to this sort of abuse”
Unfortunately, Evans has faced a history of misogynistic and threatening messages. In a previous incident, a 25-year-old man named Joel Higginson from Blurton was identified as responsible for sending despicable online abuse to Evans following her appearance on a TV show with Piers Morgan. Higginson utilized Instagram to send disturbing messages to the journalist while she was on Talk TV on October 27th, 2022. Upon checking her phone later that evening, Evans discovered threatening messages containing explicit references to sexual violence.
In a separate incident, GB News presenter Nick Dixon made derogatory comments about news anchor and TalkTv host Rosanna Lockwood during a podcast segment. Dixon is heard describing Lockwood as "the type of narcissistic woman he’s drawn to," expressing conflicting feelings of attraction and hatred towards her.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism expresses unwavering solidarity with Ava Evans and Rosanna Lockwood and strongly condemns the disturbing rhetoric they have endured. We demand that Laurence Fox and Nick Dixon apologize and that a thorough investigation into these cases takes place. Furthermore, we urge GB News to implement proactive measures to prevent similar incidents from happening in their establishment in the future.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.