Laurence Fox Suspended by GB News After Negative Statements Against Ava Evans

GB News suspends host Laurence Fox, 45, after sparking outrage for making a series of abusive remarks about journalist Ava Evans on Tuesday night's episode of Dan Wootton Tonight.

Fox's defamation of Evans, the political reporter for the online left-wing news publication Joe, was in response to her debate on Monday's episode of the BBC's Politics Live, about Doncaster MP Nick Fletcher's calls for a "minister for men".

She expressed to the panel on the show: "I think it feeds into the culture a little bit, this minister for men argument. In my mind, there should be a minister for mental health which should be all-encompassing... It's a crisis which is endemic throughout the country and not specific to men."

Fox deemed that she was trivialising male suicide, having posted: "If a woman wants to go on television and belittle male suicide, she is totally within her rights to do so and not apologise."

Despite her admission of regret about her comments, he went on to criticise her, describing Evans as a "little woman" and a "feminist 4.0" who has been "spoon-fed oppression".

Evans, subsequently shared a clip, viewed more than 2.1 million times, of Fox's rant on social media site X, formerly known as Twitter, with the caption: "Laurence Fox just did a whole speech on GB News on why men apparently won't shag me?"

She also tweeted how the footage made her feel "physically sick".

On Wednesday morning GB News host Dan Wootton, who appeared to be smiling during Fox's comments, said he was not "amused' by the comments and offered his apology for a "very unfortunate lapse in judgment".

GB News launched an investigation following the "totally unacceptable" comments and apologised in a statement posted on X, saying: "What he said does not reflect our values and we apologise unreservedly for the comments and the offence they have caused. We have launched an investigation and will be apologising to the individual involved."

Appearing on Jeremy Vine on Wednesday morning, Evans expressed feeling "really hurt" by Fox's remarks which referred to her "body rather than her work". She also added: "I'm shocked about it, I'm shocked that it went out."

Moreover, Fox has refused to offer a "grovelling apology" commenting on his social media posts on Wednesday. He stated that "I stand by every word of what I said", calling it "free speech".

The actor also added: "I realise that the new woke world is low on laughter and high on offence, but it's still worth trying to find the lighter moments in this joyless new cancel culture which has been created for us."

He concluded by saying: "So if you are expecting a grovelling apology, I suggest you don't hold your breath. I won't ever apologise to the mob."

Fox has also reportedly considered to have insulted his ex-wife Billie Piper in a follow-up tweet, allegedly referencing her. The tweet read: "Good night Tw*tter. Don't shag hot, boring, mindless, blonde 26th wave feminists. That way misery lies. Every single human life is sacred."

The pair, who share two sons, met in 2007 and filed for divorce in 2016, with Piper citing "unreasonable behaviour".

It is apparent that Fox is no stranger to controversial behaviour. As in a podcast he denounced black actors as "annoying" finding that they only speak about racism once they became successful.

He said: "The minute they've got five million quid in the bank, every interview they do is about how racism is rampant and rife in the industry."

The former Lewis star also stated that it was the same with working-class actors.

Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf also posted on X this morning, calling Fox a "vile Neanderthal". To which Fox replied: "The feeling is entirely mutual, you vile Neanderthal."