The hypocrisy of GB News's Ben Leo

Chivalrous GB News presenter Ben Leo was this week forced to step in when a guest on his show called a crazy far right American influencer “crazy” and “far right”.

Leo castigated Benjamin Butterworth – journalist for the i newspaper and one of the channel’s token lefties – after he was rude to Tiffany Marie Brannon, a loud-mouthed US pundit on the fringes of the MAGA movement with an enthusiasm for reposting Tommy Robinson on X.

In a double-header ostensibly on the merits of EU membership, Brannon – not a noted economist – chose to rant about how it was “shameful to see a nation so fallen that it would rather elect Islamic governors and mayors and leaders… instead of fighting for the freedom”.

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Butterworth responded – once he got a word in edgeways – that “as fascinating as your far right TikTok spiel is, it’s got absolutely nothing to do with the price of fish” and, as she interrupted him added that “there’s no point in being here if this crazy far right lady keeps talking over everyone else”.

This incurred the ire of Leo, who told Butterworth: “Don’t call Tiffany crazy. Oi! Don’t call a woman on my show crazy. Don’t refer to her as some crazy far right. That’s not on. I’m not having it.”

Leo, of course, would never lower himself to engaging in such personal abuse. Except, er, nine days ago when he wrote on X of Green leader Zack Polanski: “Polanski is as crazy as he is dangerous. Proof if needed that he’s a very unserious person. What’s even more concerning is the amount of people choosing to vote for him. Weirdo.”

Or in 2022, when the Covid-sceptic Leo wrote of the then Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau: “Canadian COVID lunatic Justin Trudeau threatens citizens with more authoritarian restrictions for the sniffles if they don’t obey and stick more needles in their arms. Such a creep. What kind of bootlickers vote for this man?.”