Laurence Fox’s Misogynistic Rant On ‘Dan Wootton Tonight’ Tops Ofcom Complaints List 2023
20.12.2023 - 10:29
/ deadline.com
Laurence Fox‘s highly misogynistic rant on Dan Wootton Tonight, which led to the actor and politician’s firing from GB News, was Ofcom‘s most-complained-about TV show of the year in 2023.
The episode in September, in which Fox ranted about journalist Ava Evans – saying no “self-respecting man would climb into bed with her” – narrowly beat complaints around Bridgerton star Adjoah Andoh‘s comments during King Charles III’s Coronation to the top spot of the regulator’s annual list.
Fox was fired from GB News following the rant, which generated nationwide headlines and amassed a total of 8,867 complaints, ahead of Andoh by around 200.
Ofcom investigated almost immediately due to the severity of the breach and it is one of a dozen GB News shows that have been or are being probed by the regulator this year. Fox, who regularly featured on GB News and also hosted a show on the network, was arrested in the same week on suspicion of conspiring to commit to damage to a Ulez camera in London.
Andoh, meanwhile, said “We’ve gone from the rich diversity of the [Westminster] Abbey to a terribly white balcony,” during ITV’s live Coronation broadcast, with viewers complaining that the comment was offensive and amounted to racial discrimination. Taking into account freedom of expression, Ofcom didn’t investigate but the incident nevertheless amassed thousands of complaints.
Elsewhere on the list, Good Morning Britain on ITV came in third with 2,391 complaints over the questioning of MP Layla Moran, who has family in Gaza, regarding Israel-Hamas.
Love Island, which tends to be a big complaints generator, was 10th on the list due to an episode relating to bullying, while Channel 4’s Naked Education secured eighth spot because of