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Case update 6 October 2025
Ofcom finds GB News in breach of code
More than 70,000 people complained over GB News’s use of a hateful, homophobic trope. Now the regulator has finally acted and declared the channel in breach.
After more than six months of investigation, Ofcom has concluded that GB News breached the broadcasting code when a presenter repeated a homophobic slur.
On 22 January, one of the presenters on the news discussion show Headliners repeated a dangerous lie relating LGBTQ+ people to paedophilia. A record 71,582 people used Good Law Project’s online tool to file a complaint.
Faced with the biggest number of complaints ever received, the regulator launched an investigation in March. Seven months later, Ofcom has found GB News in breach of the broadcasting code.
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The comment “clearly had the potential to be highly offensive”, the regulator concluded, by “appearing to conflate or associate some sexualities and/or gender identities with paedophilia, particularly given how well established this is as a prejudicial trope against homosexual people”.
In its decision, Ofcom considered tens of thousands of messages sent by Good Law Project’s supporters, who explained just how harmful GB News’ comments were for the LGBTQ+ community.
While waiting for Ofcom’s decision, GB News beat the regulator to the punch and took Headliners off air in June, citing low ratings. But we can all join the dots.
After Good Law Project’s campaign had gathered more than 50,000 signatures, the presenter appeared on another GB News show to apologise and explain why he had made his comments. Even though this broadcast was two and a half weeks after the slur was made, Ofcom said it “considered this action was adequate” and that “the matter is resolved”.
Good Law Project’s defamation lawyer, Matthew Gill, made the point that GB News had defended its “disgraceful claim about the LGBTQ+ community as ‘free speech’ until the bitter end”.
“It’s good that Ofcom has finally decided that this dangerous slur should never have been put on air,” Gill said, “but we need the regulator to hold GB News and its hate-filled broadcasts to account. Toxic programming must face real consequences. Ofcom must impose sanctions.”
Ofcom’s decision sends a clear message: hate will not be tolerated. But with far-right narratives on the rise around the world, Ofcom must take tougher action against hate speech.