Michael Crick was kicked off GB News for criticising the station – during a piece about free speech
Having won the Multichannel News Programme award at the 2023 Television and Radio Industries Club Awards, which it sponsored, it looks like GB News might be about to be recognised for its services to irony after Michael Crick shared his experiences of appearing on the channel.
This is what happened.
I've just been expelled from GBNews studio after being invited there to criticise Brian Rose, 2021 London mayoral candidate, & then – when asked why I thought Ofcom should close GBNews down – I said because it's a right wing channel dominated by Tory & Brexit Party politicians
— Michael Crick (@MichaelLCrick) November 4, 2023
The overall topic – freedom of speech.
— Michael Crick (@MichaelLCrick) November 4, 2023
Eventually, during a break, an angry producer of the programme marched in and said "Out", and pointing at me, "You, Out!" He said I'd refused to "move on", in terms of topic. Gosh he was furious. So anyway, I left.
— Michael Crick (@MichaelLCrick) November 4, 2023
Farrukh shared a clip of the exchange between Michael Crick and Neil Oliver, which is an extraordinary watch.
GB News, purveyors of freedom of speech, kick Michael Crick out of the studio after he calls GB News a right wing channel and criticises OfCom for doing nothing about GB News, ironically, during a segment on freedom of speech.
MC writes, "Eventually, during a break, an angry… pic.twitter.com/dDd3bmlTFs
— Farrukh (@implausibleblog) November 4, 2023
“I think Ofcom, who are one of the weakest institutions on the planet, should get a grip on you lot. I mean, it’s absurd that you have Tory MP after Tory MP after Tory MP, two leaders of the Brexit Party, and hardly any Labour MPs.
You are a right-wing channel, and the rules in this country are very clear.”
“I don’t think you can deny that the channel has made space for all kinds of voices, left, right and …”
“No, they’re predominantly on the right. I mean, look at, you know, when Nigel Farage takes the week off, who replaces him? The leader of the Brexit P …Reform UK. Over 67 million people in this country – you choose to replace Nigel Farage, it’s his successor as party leader.”
“We’re going into a break. Bear with us.”
Thanks to Michael, we know what happened during the break. The irony of expelling someone from a discussion of free speech for being critical of the station was not lost on these people.
1.
Stone cold resignation issue for any presenter who professes to believe in free speech & possesses a scintilla of integrity.
So obviously Farage won’t walk but surely @thecoastguy has to… https://t.co/hJ4ZjLr3TJ— James O'Brien (@mrjamesob) November 4, 2023
2.
“Free speech merchants close down free speech they don’t like” https://t.co/4mgWBFJvzM
— Fionna O'Leary, (@fascinatorfun) November 4, 2023
3.
Cancel culture …. @Ofcom https://t.co/Ie5gnBKFDY
— JOHN NICOLSON M.P. (@MrJohnNicolson) November 4, 2023
4.
They don't like it up 'em! https://t.co/glLtMMUSQn
— David of Nottingham (@DavidofNotting1) November 5, 2023
5.
Tremendous stuff, doing what every sane guest should do https://t.co/bflPVwAKQu
— Toby Earle Threads tobyontv (@TobyonTV) November 4, 2023
6.
Schrodinger's "Cancel Culture" eh?
Now you see it
Now you don't https://t.co/ZAbU81qN1g— David Oliver (@mancunianmedic) November 4, 2023
7.
This is absolutely magnificent. Well done @MichaelLCrick – heroic https://t.co/1YN1Q1LTqs
— Otto English (@Otto_English) November 5, 2023
8.
Gotta love Michael Crick … just a shame GBNews don't like his freedom of speech! https://t.co/sVHHkpjpFp
— GET TORIES DONE – GENERAL ELECTION NOW! (@snb19692) November 5, 2023
9.
"During a break, an angry producer of the programme marched in and said 'Out', and pointing at me, 'You, Out!' He said I'd refused to 'move on', in terms of topic. Gosh he was furious…"
Oooooooh! A bit of argy-bargy at Gross-Bollocks News involving Michael Crick.
https://t.co/kehm7nHACc— Lorna_TVeditor (@Lorna_TVeditor) November 4, 2023
10.
Cancel culture on @GBNEWS https://t.co/LE5HAwjQ2F
— Liam Thorp (@LiamThorpECHO) November 4, 2023
11.
Time and again the "free speech" brigade demonstrate that they only want it for people they agree with. https://t.co/dWdJoBIQhu
— Duncan Hothersall (@dhothersall) November 4, 2023
12.
This gonk Oliver getting rinsed live on TV has made my weekend https://t.co/0CGZgJCJxV
— Robbo (@Davyjrob67) November 5, 2023
It’s interesting to consider what is and isn’t acceptable to the GB News production team.
This show has booked Holocaust deniers and people who believe in the Protocols, and is the premier media safe space for anti-vax conspiracy theorists. But it’s chucked out Michael Crick for pointing out the official party political allegiances of the presenters on the channel. https://t.co/uvYKDMGlDW
— Matthew Sweet (@DrMatthewSweet) November 4, 2023
After the break, Neil Oliver expressed his disappointment.
After GB News kick out @MichaelLCrick for saying GB News is a far right channel and OfCom has failed, this is what Neil Oliver said after the 3 minute break:
"I will say right now, without any input form anywhere else, that I'm very disappointed at the sequence of events that… pic.twitter.com/3ZRX5SiWzi
— Farrukh (@implausibleblog) November 4, 2023
We expect he’ll hand in his resignation anytime now, given that the channel’s ethos has been undermined.
To be fair, @thecoastguy is not ‘standing by’ one of the most blatant examples of censorship we’ve ever seen..,
He stayed sitting down throughout. https://t.co/mcxBykv6Lg
— James O'Brien (@mrjamesob) November 4, 2023
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The only thing funnier than the Tories’ by-election calamity was GB News’s watery-eyed response
Source Michael Crick, @Implausibleblog Image Screengrab