GB News is in no serious danger of picking up an award for journalism any time soon. But might a comedy award be on the way after it this week aired an exchange between Nana Akua and a guest that seemed so batshit mental it must surely have been a scripted piece of arthouse entertainment?
Akua, right wing even by the conspiracist channel’s standards, lost her temper with guest pundit Andy Twelves after he accused her of having lost control of a panel discussing the news – no doubt of vast interest to GB News viewers – that the BBC had paused a placement scheme for civil servants within its fact-checking department.
Twelves had been talking over the story with fellow panellists Esther McVey, the Conservative MP and Rishi Sunak’s former ‘minister for common sense’, and another GB News presenter, Will Kingston. As the trio proceeded to speak over each other, Akua reminded Twelves, “I’m hosting the show”, to which the left-leaning commentator responded: “Are you? I don’t think the viewers would’ve got that from your performance there; your pretty poor hosting skills. You lost control of the panel there.”
The next minute-and-a-half of live TV was so hypnotically awful that Rats in a Sack thought you might enjoy the transcript in full…
NA: Have you quite finished?
AT: No.
NA: All right, what else have you got to say? Go on. Carry on. Let’s hear it.
AT: Well, I’ve got some things to say, but you clearly want to wrap up the show.
NA: Well, let’s hear it. What else have you got to say? Let’s get it all out now, so that when you’ve managed to purge yourself for what it is that you have against me…
AT: Why would I purge myself?
NA: Well, let’s do that, and once you’ve done that…
AT: That’s not what that word means.
NA: Purge yourself of whatever problem you have with me, then once we’ve done that we can get on with the show. So what else have you got to say? Let’s do it now. What else?
AT: If you want to…
NA: Go on, let’s have it. What else?
AT: You’re not an especially good host and you lost control of the panel…
NA: Anything else?
AT: You’re shouting at panelists.
NA: Anything else?
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AT: You’re just a poor, poor host.
NA: Any more? Yeah? Is that it? Have you finally done it?
AT: Why are we doing this on air? I don’t think this…
NA: Well, I’m just waiting for you to finish because you’re being extremely disrespectful…
AT: But you don’t really want this played out on air…
NA: I’m allowing you to finish your disrespect and then when we’ve done that we’ll get on with the show.
AT: Why are we doing this on air?
NA: Are you finished?
AT: This is very unprofessional…
NA: Yes, it is, very. It is truly rude of you as well. Have you finished? Have you finished?
AT: Sure, if you’re…
NA: Have you finished? Yes or no?
AT: I mean, Nana, why are you keeping this going? This is silly. Come on, you’re meant to be the chair here, come on. Let’s end this. Come on.
(Long pause)
AT: Thank you, Nana. Thank you.
NA: Don’t disrespect me, Andy, ‘cause I’m not going to tolerate it. Just to be very clear to you.
AT: Alright.
NA: Don’t disrespect me, ‘cause I’ve had enough.
AT: This is very unprofessional.
NA: Don’t… no, no. Don’t… this is very disrespectful.
Suggested Reading
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AT: This is unprofessional.
NA: And what you’re doing is extremely rude.
AT: No, please, let’s move this…
NA: What you’re doing is extremely rude and I won’t tolerate it.
AT: This is unprofessional.
NA: To be very clear…
AT: We’re going in circles here.
NA: Yeah, we are, we are. But I’m asking you to be respectful.
AT: Alright, please, let’s move on.
NA: Thank you.
AT: Cheers.
NA: Thank you very much, Andy Twelves.
AT: This is unprofessional.
NA: Have you finished?
AT: Have you finished? Come on, Nana.
NA: Pathetic, childless and ridiculous.
AT: Childless?
Is it comedy? Art? Whatever, it’s probably unintentionally the greatest thing GB News has ever done and worth every penny of its accumulated ongoing losses currently running at £141.3 million.
As Rats in a Sack reported earlier this week, Akua is set to present the weekend breakfast show on the all-new, all-British GB Music Radio when it launches next month. What a tonic she will be to wake up to each Saturday and Sunday morning!
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