Britain’s media regulator, Ofcom, is facing mounting pressure to take decisive action against GB News amid accusations that the right-wing broadcaster is systematically undermining democratic standards and misleading the public. At the centre of the controversy is a recent “world exclusive” interview with Donald Trump that critics argue crossed multiple red lines of UK broadcasting regulation, including rules on due impartiality and the prohibition on materially misleading audiences.
The interview, aired in November and hosted by GB News presenter Bev Turner, gave the former US president a largely unchallenged platform to repeat a series of demonstrably false and inflammatory claims. Among them were assertions that human-induced climate change is “a hoax”, that London contains “no-go areas” for police, and that parts of the capital operate under “sharia law”. Trump also made sweeping claims about immigration, crime and energy policy that were either inaccurate or highly contested.
What has caused particular alarm is not simply that these claims were aired, but that they were broadcast with little to no scrutiny. Turner failed to challenge Trump’s statements and, at several points, appeared to endorse them. When Trump claimed that people in Britain were “being stabbed in the ass or worse”, Turner replied: “It’s true… It’s awful, it is,” adding that the US “feels much safer”. Such remarks, critics argue, amount to the presenter actively reinforcing misinformation rather than interrogating it.
Complaints about the programme have been submitted to Ofcom in at least three detailed dossiers, co-signed by tens of thousands of people. These complaints cite clear breaches of the Broadcasting Code, particularly the requirement that broadcasters must not materially mislead audiences and must preserve due impartiality on matters of political and public controversy.
Among those calling for a formal investigation is Chris Banatvala, Ofcom’s founding director of standards. In unusually stark terms, Banatvala said he had “never seen anything comparable on a UK-established domestic broadcaster”. He warned that the interview posed a “real challenge” for the regulator, not least because of the latitude Ofcom has already extended to GB News in previous rulings.
“While this style of interview – with no challenge and a presenter effectively feeding lines – may be the norm for Newsmax and Fox News, I’ve never seen anything comparable on a UK-established domestic broadcaster,” Banatvala said. “There is no doubt this programme warrants investigation for potential breaches of the due impartiality and misleading rules.”
The climate misinformation alone has drawn fierce criticism from experts. Bob Ward of the London School of Economics’ Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment lodged a complaint focused on Trump’s claim that climate change is a hoax and his false statements about wind power and North Sea drilling. Trump described wind energy as “the most expensive energy you can get”, a claim directly contradicted by recent research showing renewables to be among the cheapest sources of power.
Ward described the interview as “the most blatant example of a British media organisation collaborating with the Trump administration to undermine British democracy with this misinformation”. That language reflects a growing concern that GB News is no longer merely partisan but is acting as a conduit for coordinated political messaging designed to distort public debate.
Further complaints, including one from campaign group 38 Degrees, focus on Turner’s repeated praise of Trump during the interview. She described one of his speeches as “one of the greatest moments at the UN” and said she “loved it”. Such overt endorsement, critics argue, makes a mockery of the principle of impartiality that underpins UK broadcasting regulation.
GB News has increasingly positioned itself as a friendly platform for figures associated with Trump and the US right. Trump’s press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, has repeatedly promoted the channel, and the network has given airtime to Trump administration talking points with minimal scrutiny. This pattern has fuelled accusations that GB News is attempting to import a US-style partisan media model into the UK, where broadcasting standards have historically been far stricter.
Ofcom officials have confirmed they are assessing the complaints but have yet to decide whether to launch a formal investigation. This delay has itself become a source of controversy, with critics accusing the regulator of timidity when faced with politically sensitive cases. There is a growing fear that reluctance to act against GB News risks hollowing out the very concept of impartiality.
Banatvala issued a blunt warning: if Ofcom chooses not to investigate, it would effectively signal that the regulator has abandoned impartiality and that broadcasters no longer need to comply with the rules. Such a precedent, critics argue, would have profound implications for the UK media landscape, opening the door to unchecked misinformation and propaganda.
GB News has declined to comment on the complaints. But the pressure on Ofcom is intensifying. For many observers, this case is no longer just about a single interview. It is about whether UK broadcasting regulation still has teeth and whether democratic safeguards can survive in an era of increasingly aggressive, ideologically driven media. If the regulator fails to act, critics warn, the consequences will extend far beyond one channel – and far beyond one interview.
