Britain’s broadcasting regulator is under growing pressure to investigate GB News following a November interview with former US president Donald Trump, after critics claimed the channel allowed misleading and inaccurate statements to go unchallenged.
The interview, promoted as a “world exclusive sit-down,” saw Trump repeat claims that human-induced climate change is “a hoax” and that parts of London are police “no-go areas” governed by “sharia law.” Campaigners and media experts have said these assertions were either left unchallenged or reinforced by the interviewer, Bev Turner, raising questions about compliance with UK broadcasting rules on accuracy and due impartiality.
Multiple formal complaints have now been submitted to Ofcom, including three co-signed by tens of thousands of viewers. The regulator is understood to be reviewing the submissions but has not confirmed whether a formal investigation will follow.
Chris Banatvala, Ofcom’s founding director of standards, described the broadcast as unprecedented for a UK-licensed domestic channel. “I have never seen anything comparable on a British broadcaster,” he said. “While this style of interview may be common on US partisan outlets, it represents a serious test of the UK’s impartiality framework.” He warned that failing to investigate would signal a retreat from established broadcasting standards. “If Ofcom chooses not to act, it risks sending a message that impartiality rules no longer apply,” Banatvala added.
Bob Ward of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment filed one complaint focusing on Trump’s remarks on climate change. During the interview, Trump claimed climate change was fabricated and called wind power “the most expensive energy you can get,” statements contradicted by extensive scientific and economic evidence. Ward described the broadcast as “one of the most blatant examples of a British media organisation allowing misinformation to be broadcast without challenge.”
Other complaints highlight Trump’s statements about crime and policing in London. He claimed police avoid entire areas of the capital, a point left unchallenged. At one stage, Turner appeared to agree, saying: “It’s true … it feels much safer [in the US].”
Campaign group 38 Degrees also filed a complaint, arguing the interview lacked due impartiality. The group pointed to repeated praise for Trump by the presenter, including describing one of his UN speeches as “one of the greatest moments” at the international body.
GB News has increasingly featured figures associated with the Trump administration and has received public praise from Trump’s press secretary, Karoline Leavitt. Critics say this raises further questions about editorial balance, particularly given UK broadcasters’ obligations to avoid materially misleading audiences.
GB News declined to comment on the complaints. An Ofcom spokesperson said: “We are assessing the complaints against our rules, but have not yet decided whether to investigate.”
As scrutiny intensifies, the case is shaping up to be a major test of the regulator’s willingness to enforce long-standing impartiality and accuracy standards in an increasingly polarised media landscape.
