GB News’ Neil Oliver faces backlash for ‘cheerfully risking catching Covid in name of freedom’ comments

The presenter has faced pushback over the comments (Picture: GB News)

GB News’ Neil Oliver has faced a backlash online for stating that he would ‘cheerfully risk catching Covid’ in the name of personal freedom.

The Scottish presenter appeared on the news channel and compared people who refuse to comply with guidelines to those who fought in World War II.

The 54-year-old suggested that people who were criticised for not taking the Covid-19 vaccine were living under ‘tyranny’.

Neil spoke on his weekly GB News channel, saying: ‘If your freedom means I might catch Covid from you, then so be it. 

‘If my freedom means you might catch Covid from me, then so be it. That’s honestly how I see it.’

He added: ‘For the sake of freedom, yours and mine together, I will cheerfully risk catching Covid. That is a chance one among many that I am prepared to take and happily. Life is not safe. 

‘Freedom is not safe. For the sake of freedom, yours and mine together all freedoms being of equal value, I will cheerfully risk much else besides.’

Neil went on to say: ‘For me, without freedom there is no point in anything. So, take away all the numbers, all the statistic, all the models and predictions.

‘For me it all boils down to something simple. I declare that I am a free man. I was born into a part of the world where I was taught that my freedom was won for me by men and women who died to make it so.’

Neil Oliver joined up to GB News following its launch in June (Picture: GB News)

He added: ‘In the beginning of that fight to prevent the victory of that tyranny, it was a minority outgunned and shouted down by fellow citizens that stood up and said no. Merely to live is not enough, not nearly. What matters is to live in freedom.’

Neil faced pushback for his comments, with social media users taking issue with the sentiments shared. 

‘So would you cheerfully risk passing it onto me?’ one said, while another added: ‘I’m immune suppressed so you might well be giving me a death sentence.’

Neil is a presenter and archaeologist known for his work on shows including Coast, Vikings and A History of Scotland.

More: GB News

He was appointed president of the National Trust for Scotland in 2017. 

He has a weekly show on GB News, joining the likes of Dan Wooton, Kirsty Gallacher, Simon McCoy, Alistair Stewart and Michelle Dewberry.

Neil Oliver Live airs on Saturdays at 7pm on GB News.

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