Sunday, May 12

Laurence Fox: Ava Evans hits out at ‘antiquated’ strategy at GB News after ‘unacceptable’ feedback

The feminine journalist who was the topic of “unacceptable” feedback about her look on GB News has hit out on the channel’s “antiquated” strategy.

Speaking on Dan Wootton Tonight on Tuesday, actor-turned-politician Laurence Fox made a collection of remarks about Ava Evans, together with: “Who would want to shag that?”

GB News apologised in a press release posted on X, previously Twitter, a couple of hours later and stated it has launched an investigation.

Read extra: What Laurence Fox stated – in full

Presenter Wootton, who appeared to snigger throughout among the phase, was suspended by the broadcaster on Wednesday, together with Fox.

“I just feel I’ve been put into the middle of a furore and a story that I didn’t ask to be put into,” Ms Evans stated throughout a podcast with information outlet JOE, the place she works as a political correspondent.

“I simply suppose it speaks to a wider energy dynamic that’s form of falling away now however undoubtedly was once there in the previous few years.

“It’s like an antiquated practice of not being able to properly challenge a woman on her words and so just going for her level of attractiveness.”

She criticised the channel for having an “entire gallery of people watching it go out who did nothing from the viewer’s perspective to stop it”.

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‘I didn’t ask to be put into this story’

Wootton has apologised for the remarks, saying he “regretted” the interview, however Ms Evans stated she doesn’t wish to hear from him after he referred to as her “multiple times”.

“I was getting calls up until 1am, voicemails… I don’t want to hear from him. This is actually nothing to do with me,” she stated.

“This is a network problem, this is a presenter, guest, gallery, production issue that is nothing to do with me.

“I simply so occur to be the individual they’re speaking about however I’m not within the dialog… it is to not do with me and that is what makes me really feel most sick about it.”

Fox has refused to apologise and appeared to suggest GB News was aware of what he was roughly going to say in advance.

Ms Evans referred to this on the podcast – that “we have now come to search out out… that was truly pre-agreed with producers” and that “he was going to speak about my appears to be like”.

GB News, in its initial statement, said it will be apologising to Ms Evans for the “unacceptable” comments – and Ms Evans said she received a “very gracious e mail” from the editor, which she’d been waiting for “all day”.

“It was an e mail from the editor – a really gracious e mail – principally telling me that what Fox stated was not consultant of the remainder of the GB News outfit,” she told the BBC Newscast podcast.

“That’s truly most likely one of the best apology I might have gotten. Honestly, to not forged doubt on our media panorama, however I did not truly suppose something was going to occur.

“I don’t want to say I’m pleased by it. I just think that’s probably the best outcome I could have hoped for.”

Asked if she accepted the apology, she stated she’s ready to see “how the investigation goes”.

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Broadcaster GB News says it has suspended presenter Dan Wootton following on-air feedback made by co-presenter Laurence Fox.

‘Are they simply me… bodily?’

Earlier on Wednesday, Ms Evans stated she is “really hurt” by Fox’s feedback, which have been about her “body rather than her work”.

Ms Evans informed Channel 5’s Jeremy Vine present: “I’m really hurt by it… I’m shocked about by it, I’m shocked that it went out.

“Do you realize that is the form of speak that you simply fear that males have about you once you’re not within the room.

“There is always sort of a worry in the back of your mind which is: ‘Are people actually interested in what I’m saying or what I’m doing?’

“Or are they simply me… bodily and I believe that that clip proves that there are some males who’re.”

She also said: “I’m truly a journalist fairly than a commentator and I’d a lot fairly be judged or requested about my work… than have folks speaking about my physique.”

What exactly did Fox say?

In the clip, he said: “We’re previous the watershed so I can say this… present me a single, self-respecting man that want to climb into mattress with that lady… ever… ever.

“That little woman has been fed… spoon-fed oppression day after day, after day, starting with the lie about the gender pay gap.

“She’s sat there, and I’m going like, if I met you at a bar and that was like sentence three, possibilities of me simply strolling away are simply big.

“We need powerful, strong, amazing women who make great points for themselves. We don’t need these feminist 4.0.

“They’re pathetic and embarrassing. Who’d wish to shag that?”

Read more:
‘Unacceptable’ feedback in full and response to his suspension
Who is Laurence Fox – and what controversies has he faced?

Ms Evans had shared the clip on Tuesday in the hours after it aired, with a caption saying: “Laurence Fox simply did an entire speech on GB News on why males apparently will not shag me?”

She added in a follow-up post the footage made her feel “bodily sick”.

Meanwhile, media regulator Ofcom said it has received “plenty of complaints” about the comments.

“We are assessing these complaints towards our broadcast guidelines and can publish the end result as rapidly as potential,” a spokesperson added.

Content Source: information.sky.com