Andrew Neil has broken his silence after stepping down from GB News and has revealed he had differences with the board and managers on the direction the channel was heading.
The journalist and broadcaster, 72, appeared on BBC’s Question Time days after announcing his departure from the fledgling channel and saying it was ‘time to reduce my commitments on a number of fronts’.
However, there had been speculation for several weeks that Neil had fallen out with GB News CEO Angelos Frangopoulos over their alleged differing visions for the channel’s direction.
And Neil told Question Time last night that ‘more and more differences’ had emerged between him and station bosses and he felt he was in a ‘minority of one’ about its future.
He also added that the launch of GB News could not be described as a ‘startling success’.
Andrew Neil told Question Time last night that the launch of GB News could not be described as a ‘startling success’ and that he felt he was in a ‘minority of one’ about its future
There had been speculation for several weeks that Neil had fallen out with GB News CEO Angelos Frangopoulos over their alleged differing visions for the channel’s direction
He said: ‘More and more differences emerged between myself and the other senior managers and the board of GB News.
‘Rather than these differences narrowing, they got wider and wider and I felt it was best that if that’s the route they wanted to take then that’s up to them, it’s their money.
‘The route is what I think you can see on GB News at the moment, people should make up their own minds what they want to watch.’
Neil added: ‘I thought it wasn’t for me, I had wanted a different route – it doesn’t mean that I’m right or they’re wrong but it certainly was a difference.
‘The differences were such that the direction they were going in was not the direction that I had outlined, it was not the direction I had envisaged for the channel.
‘But I was in a minority of one, so it’s doing what it’s doing and it’s up to them. Good luck to them if that’s what they want to do.’
After Neil’s announcement on Monday, a statement from GB News said: ‘Andrew is without doubt one of the finest journalists and interviewers in this country.
‘GB News thanks him for his 12 months of leadership, wisdom and advice and we wish him well.’
GB News launched in June with Neil saying it would not ‘slavishly follow the existing news agenda’, would cover ‘the stories that matter to you and those that have been neglected’ and deliver ‘a huge range of voices that reflect the views and values of our United Kingdom’.
A number of big names joined the channel for its launch including ITV News journalist Alastair Stewart, BBC journalist Simon McCoy and and former Labour MP Gloria De Piero.
Andrew Neil resigned as chairman of GB News and is also stepping down as a presenter
The broadcaster took to Twitter to say: ‘It’s official: I have resigned as Chairman and Lead Presenter of GB News’
Guto Harri quit the channel following a row over him taking the knee during a debate on the racism directed towards England football players, while other staff members have reportedly left.
Neil quit as chairman in June to go on what he said at the time was an extended holiday and promised to be back ‘before the summer is out’.
But, announcing on Monday that he will not now return to his original role, Neil said: ‘I am sorry to go but I have concluded it’s time to reduce my commitments on a number of fronts.
The ex-BBC political presenter, 72, will continue to appear twice a week as a commentator but has decided to cut down on his professional commitments.
Less than two hours after announcing his resignation, Neil appeared on former UKIP leader Nigel Farage’s 7pm show on the channel, where he discussed the influence of China on British universities.
Farage said Neil was returning in a ‘change of role’ as a ‘contributor and commentator’ and added that he would feature at the same time next week.
GB News’s launch was plagued by technical problems such as poorly lit sets and crackling microphones, issues which Neil is understood to have regarded as shambolic.
Companies also began to pull their advertising from the channel as a result of pressure from hard-left campaign group Stop Funding Hate.
Speaking in a statement released by GB News, Neil said: ‘I am sorry to go but I have concluded it’s time to reduce my commitments on a number of fronts. Over the summer I’ve had time to reflect on my extensive portfolio of interests and decided it was time to cut back’
However, after Neil called them out on air and accused firms’ ‘useful idiot’ bosses of ‘taking the knee to far-Left cranks’ wielding ‘woke nonsense’ to try to try to sink the channel, many of them then rowed back on their decisions.
Moneysupermarket, Ikea, Vodafone and Bosch were among the firms to initially announce that they would not be advertising with the channel.
Moneysupermarket then tweeted: ‘Just to confirm that Moneysupermarket is not boycotting its advertising on GB News, sorry for any confusion caused.’
Ikea and telecoms giant Vodafone also both then made it clear that they may restart adverts after a review.
Neil first announced the impending arrival of GB News last year, revealing that he would present a show four nights a week whilst also being chairman of the channel.
He said in his first show in June: ‘We are committed to covering the people’s agenda, not the media’s agenda.
‘GB News will not be yet another echo chamber for the metropolitan mindset that already dominates so much of the media.
‘We are proud to be British, the clue is in the name, and while we will never hold back from covering our country’s many flaws and problems… we won’t forget what the B stands for in our title.
‘We will puncture the pomposity of our elites… and expose their growing promotion of cancel culture for the threat to free speech and democracy that it is.’