Andrew Neil takes break from GB News after ‘rocky start’
Andrew Neil has announced he is taking a break from GB News just two weeks after he launched the channel.
The veteran TV presenter said on his show last night that he would be away for a “few weeks” as he admitted the venture had got off to a “rocky start”.
He told viewers that former Sky News presenter Colin Brazier would take over his flagship 8pm programme until his return before the end of the summer.
“Yes we had a bit of a rocky start at the launch of GB News. We are a start-up. They are always a bit rocky these start-ups, but we are up and running as you can see,” he said.
“We get better every day and there is clearly an appetite for what we are doing. In two short weeks we have already built a loyal audience, which has beaten all of our expectations.”
The abrupt hiatus will come as a blow to GB News, which has endured a turbulent period since its launch earlier this month.
The channel, which has promised to target what it describes as “marginal voices” in the UK, has been hit by an advertising boycott that has seen brands including Kopparberg, Nivea, Ikea and Grolsch pull ads from the network.
It has also been beset by technical difficulties and been the subject of hundreds of Ofcom complaints over its opinion-led coverage of the Covid pandemic.
Despite this, Neil has insisted that GB News is attracting large audiences and often beating its rivals.
The channel raked in bumper viewing figures on its opening night, while Neil said his Wednesday evening show attracted three times the audience of Sky News and over a quarter more than BBC News.