The bbc news is that theyve released some new guidelines for presenters and personalities use of social media. News people have to stick to the rules of being completely impartial and not say anything controversial which is all has been the case, but presenters of certain flagship programmes like much of the day your antiques roadshow have been told they cant tweet anything that might be considered controversial while their shows on air orjust before or after they are on air. This is a reaction to that whole row about gary lineker and his tweets that caused a huge for rory and then the bbc had to wrestle with its commitment to impartiality but then what about folk who arent doing news shows and maybe do a handful of shows a year or a collection of shows but also do lots of other work and might want to express views about stuff . And news about gb news is that ofcom, the communications regulator, has announced they are doing an official investigation into those comments by the actor and commentator laurence fox on a show the other night when they were talking about some comments made by a female journalist. We can chat about what is going on in gb news now because we arejoint in is going on in gb news now because we are joint in the studio by one of the presenters. It is nice to see you in real life rather than on screen. Do i look better . The same which was already good. What is the last 48 hours been like a gb news . To be honest, its been an interesting moment because we have worked interesting moment because we have worked very hard at gb news to make sure that worked very hard at gb news to make sure that we worked very hard at gb news to make sure that we follow all the guidelines and that we are all trained guidelines and that we are all trained properly with all the ofcom guidelines that some of us have come from, guidelines that some of us have come from, myself from the bbc, we were really from, myself from the bbc, we were really making headway because we have last really making headway because we have last week Beat Bbc News and sky news over have last week Beat Bbc News and sky news over average views and for three news over average views and for three consecutive days we also beat sky news three consecutive days we also beat sky news and we have been Making Realty sky news and we have been making really great headway. But the last 48 hours really great headway. But the last 48 hours have been quite tough in a sense 48 hours have been quite tough in a sense because it is disappointing because sense because it is disappointing because the things that were said on air are because the things that were said on air are hot because the things that were said on air are not really the way that the chahhet air are not really the way that the channel operates. A lot of people have channel operates. A lot of people have Treeh Channel operates. A lot of people have been saying Freedom Of Speech, freedom have been saying Freedom Of Speech, Freedom Of Have been saying Freedom Of Speech, Freedom Of Speech and laurence fox had talked Freedom Of Speech and laurence fox had talked about Freedom Of Speech. Yes, had talked about Freedom Of Speech. Yes. There had talked about Freedom Of Speech. Yes, there is Freedom Of Speech but lets not yes, there is Freedom Of Speech but lets not conflate that with being misogynistic, sexist or racist. Those misogynistic, sexist or racist. Those things arent allowed and that isnt a those things arent allowed and that isnt a standard that we would have at gb isnt a standard that we would have at gb news. Most people at gb news that i speak to dont think that its acceptable what he said and neither its acceptable what he said and neither do our viewers. Can its acceptable what he said and neither do our viewers. Neither do our viewers. Can you understand neither do our viewers. Can you understand how neither do our viewers. Can you understand how it neither do our viewers. Can you understand how it happened . L neither do our viewers. Can you understand how it happened . What was your theory about what was going on . I cant really speak about what was going i cant really speak about what was going oh~ i cant really speak about what was going oh i i cant really speak about what was going on. Ijust Think Laurence was talking going on. Ijust Think Laurence was talking as going on. Ijust Think Laurence was talking as though he is a 17 year old around his mates in a pub and 17 year old around his mates in a pub and hot 17 year old around his mates in a pub and not actually respecting the space pub and not actually respecting the space that he was in riches whilst we do space that he was in riches whilst we do like space that he was in riches whilst we do like to have an entertaining sehse we do like to have an entertaining sense of we do like to have an entertaining sense of the news, we are also quite serious sense of the news, we are also quite serious~ im sense of the news, we are also quite serious. Im quite a serious jourhaiist serious. Im quite a serious journalist. I might laugh and joke and make journalist. I might laugh and joke and make fun in light of things, but my messes and make fun in light of things, but my messes is usually a serious one and gb my messes is usually a serious one and gb news suspended him immediately. There was no question about immediately. There was no question about that immediately. There was no question about that. Dan has also been suspended, they are being investigated for their behaviour. I investigated for their behaviour. Wonder investigated for their behaviour. I wonder what your Human Reaction was. Yes, as a colleague, but more as an individual when you first watch the exchange on the telly or social media . ,. , ~ exchange on the telly or social media . ,. , , media . Look, this is my view. Lawrence media . Look, this is my view. Lawrence didnt media . Look, this is my view. Lawrence didnt need media . Look, this is my view. Lawrence didnt need to media . Look, this is my view. Lawrence didnt need to sink l media . Look, this is my view. | lawrence didnt need to sink to media . Look, this is my view. I lawrence didnt need to sink to a similar lawrence didnt need to sink to a similar level, ive looked at some of the similar level, ive looked at some of the things ava says on social media of the things ava says on social media and of the things ava says on social media and see talks in that way to some media and see talks in that way to some of media and see talks in that way to some of the people who are tweeting her and some of the people who are tweeting her and things. But that doesnt mean her and things. But that doesnt mean that her and things. But that doesnt mean that if lawrence is having exchange mean that if lawrence is having exchange with her, especially on air live on exchange with her, especially on air live on a exchange with her, especially on air live on a news channel, that he should live on a news channel, that he should be live on a news channel, that he should be going down the same sinkhole should be going down the same sinkhole. For me, the language on air was sinkhole. For me, the language on air was totally unacceptable. This is not air was totally unacceptable. This is not something i would allow on my show is not something i would allow on my show it is not something i would allow on my show it is is not something i would allow on my show. It is being investigated because show. It is being investigated because this is not the charter on bbc news gb news. So you can have lots of different views, which we do have, but you must treat each person with respect as well. Because i wonder, gb News Champions is the fact that you will hear bold opinions and makes an argument that you will hear bold opinions that you perhaps dont hear as much of elsewhere. I wonder where, and again im not asking you to speak on behalf of the whole channel, but for your own show, for instance, where you draw a line on a channel that is proud of being bold in its opinions, between being bold and then a line over which you would deem to be acceptable. I mean, you have drawn part of that line in what you have just said but ijust wonder how you kind of wrestle with that. Well, i wouldnt tolerate someone being misogynistic, and that is what i felt that was, that was a misogynistic, Nonsense Comment that gb news would not stand by and neither would i. And i dont know what went on within all of that, but if i have comments like that in my show, i would shut that down instantly and demand an apology from the person there. But i dont know what happened but the bottom line is that management would not tolerate that and neither would i. Do you Think Laurence fox should ever be back on gb news . Its not for me to determine what the management should do, should or shouldnt do, they are investigating so they will investigate and then they will come up with a decision, its not my decision to make. And how does it work on the channel, with you as a presenter and a contributor . Done in a very straight way, and this is something a bit more commenty so you can kind of maybe let rip a bit more or. So, what the deal is, just like you have News Commentators on the bbc, and with this new guideline, where people are not strictly close to the news, they are free to speak, but the news readers, so we have News Bulletins on the hour and sometimes at half past the hour, they do not express an opinion so we follow the ofcom guidelines which are that if somebody is a news reader, they do not express an opinion on the news and we are very strict with that, and they do not crossover. But i am a commentator and broadcaster, i am a journalist, but im not a newsreader. Just looping back to the laurence fox issue, i get that there is the ongoing gb News Investigation and gb news is a kind of corporate entity as a channel will come to a judgment on what happens, i just wonder what your view is . Would you be comfortable being on the same network as laurence fox were he to be welcomed back . You know, for me, if i. I dont like hearing misogynistic or racist comments so in my view, personally, i dont know what they are going to do, i think its down to them, i dont know what happened there for that sort of comment. Me personally, if it was me, i dont know, i probably wouldnt want him back on air but that is down to the management, its up to them. What about dan wootton . Well, again, it is down to them to make that decision, its not my decision to make. Because he had a different role in it, didnt he . He has been criticised for sort of allowing it to happen, he didnt say it. Again look, they are investigating it and, as you know when something is being investigated, you try not to comment on it because there would have been other things going on but im not aware of. Gb news are taking quite a serious approach to this. We have never suspended people instantly like that and that is the first time that two people, as far as i know have been suspended immediately. There was no question as to whether they should or should not be suspended. At lunchtime today, lee anderson, who is a gb news presenter or commentator, im not sure which category he is in, he posted a picture of him in the pub with Suella Braverman, the home secretary, saying, exclusive scoop, i am going to be chatting to the home secretary in her first interview since she has got back from washington, dc. Just explain to people why it is ok for a conservative mp to be in view. Deputy chairman of the party as well. Notjust any old mp but a senior one, to interview a conservative minister. I mean, if you look at it, a lot of the other broadcasters, lbc and those broadcasters, they have Mps Presenting shows and doing that anyway. But that is only one element of the show and the show is wider than that. So there will be someone from the other side of the. Somebody who is from the left making comment and somebody with a different view so we have an array of all views. So we follow the rule of Due Impartiality which is that you must have an array of views so that might be one element of the programme but that isjust one element. There are lots of other elements within the programme whereby there are a diverse range of opinion so its notjust one tiny, tiny. That is just one tiny section of it. But is the interview with lee anderson just him and Suella Braverman in the pub having a chat . No, because there are obviously other people around. So this is a part of a full show. But in the interview with the home secretary, there are other people there to provide that balance . The balance will be provided around the show so it is one show. So, if you have a show, you dont have to have those people sitting there with him throughout. You can have a part of a show where you will have somebody with an opinion and within the show there will be other opinions. It is all part of the same show. Do you think there are too many tory mps on gb news as presenters . Well, how many are there . I dont know the exact number because some come and go, dont they . How many is too many for you . I dont have a view of how many, i was asking you. I dont really look at it like that. We look for people who have a certain, who want to present and talk about the politics of things. If you look, as i said, lbc, they have had plenty of tory mps and labour mps and all sorts of mps going on there so we are not alone in doing that. Talk tv have mps on their programmes as well so i think it is pretty standard that mps appear and present programmes. Do you think it enriches the kind of Media Landscape and conversation, if you like, that in the mix now, in a way that didnt happen, say, ten years ago maybe five years ago, that you would have formats where a sitting mp, from whatever Political Party, interviews a fellow sitting mp from that same Political Party . Because journalistically, that is a Novel Concept in british broadcasting. And people will have a view as to whether it is terrible or great. But there are plenty of. Look, we dont have to do things the way we have always done it and gb news are a disruptor so we are changing the landscape of how things are done. And, you know, if that. As long as we show balance throughout, then that is what is imperative in this and that is the Due Impartiality that we are required to show with ofcom so as long as we comply with the rules, just like everybody else, ijust dont see the problem with it. On that concept of the sort of Due Impartiality, have you thought about how this model might work when theres a general election campaign, and the Impartiality Rules on broadcasters are even stricter than they are in normal times . Well, we just follow the same rules as everybody else. So, obviously youre not allowed to say, if they are electioneering and things like that, we are all in purdah, we cant say. There are certain things we cant do. So we work alongside everybody else. Were ofcom, regulated, just like the bbc. So, we follow the same rules. And talking about the bbc, what do you think about the new guidelines for tweeting . Sorry, x ing. What do we call it now . Posting on x. Im actually. Look, i left the bbc for the very reason that i was unable to speak or say anything. It seems a bit ridiculous. That is because of Due Impartiality, which is the very thing you were defending. No, no, well, thats why i left, so i could have a Due Impartiality. Thats what ijust said. I left. Because, to me, the bbc was very restrictive in what i could say, i had to follow a narrative. I wanted to have an opinion, i wanted more opinion, more views and opinions, which is why i left. 0k, what narrative do you think you felt you had to follow, out of interest . Well, lets talk about brexit, then. When it came to brexit, it was. Everyone was so remain, you literally couldnt say anything. Ill give you another example, black lives matter. At one point, my boss actually told me, asked me to do a piece to interview someone about an event to promote a black lives matter event. And i said, but theyre a marxist, left wing pressure group. They shouldnt be on the bbc, and thats not really. And i refused to do it. So it was sort of, no, this is the way we think and this is how it has to be. You know, you couldnt really discuss or question things like climate change. And i wanted to have a wider conversation about it. And so i felt that i was being literally as if someone was choking me, because i wasnt able to say anything, so i left. Specifically to be able to listen to more views and have more views. And so listening to this now, ijust think it is typical that they start allowing it, but that is because they cant defend it, because they cant defend having people like Carol Vorderman on air, making. With such hateful. Have you read some of the tweets she has made for people who are on the right and things . You cant have somebody on a state owned broadcaster coming out with Something Like that. Gary lineker, with his posts with regards to language that is akin to nazi germany, or germany in the 30s, which is nazi germany. He shouldnt be making comments on state owned broadcaster. On a state funded broadcaster, sorry. Itjust seems. So i dont believe the bbc, if you work for the bbc and you are high profile, i dont believe that you should be pushing your opinions, especially gary lineker. Thanks for coming back to the bbc tonight to speak to newscast. Thank you, i enjoyed it. Thank you very much. Thats news about the news. Lets