Entertainment
Guto Harri quits GB News over taking the knee on air
Guto Harri took the knee on GB News (Picture: GB News)
Guto Harri has quit GB News, saying he saw ‘no option’ but to resign after the broadcaster’s response to him taking the knee on air.
He made the gesture in solidarity with the England team, explaining he ‘got’ why they took the knee in opposition to racism ahead of their Euro 2020 matches.
In his resignation letter, obtained by The Independent, Harri spoke about the recent hiring of Nigel Farage, who declared he would ‘not be taking the knee for anyone’ on his programme.
‘Please explain how that does not breach editorial standards but I did,’ Harri’s letter states.
He was reportedly ‘taken off air indefinitely’ amid the heavy backlash from GB News views.
It comes after Farage, announcing he was joining GB News, said: ‘Since politics I have done a fair bit of broadcasting and broadcasting matters, it really, really does.
‘It gets people to look at issues, think about issues in different ways and can be very influential.’
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The former leader of the Brexit Party said that he previously did three and a half years working at LBC with what he described as ‘some degree of success’.
‘On YouTube I’ve had millions of people watching my videos and often I’ve covered stories that everybody else wants to ignore,’ he said.
He continued, explaining that his self-titled GB News show is to begin from Monday July 19, airing at from 7pm until 8pm from Monday to Thursday on the channel.
Mr Farage promised to ‘take on the toughest news of the day’, saying that he’ll interview people ‘who really understand their subjects’.
‘And also, I won’t be taking the knee for anyone on this show,’ he added.
Harri said on the channel that he ‘never understood’ while people took against taking the knee, adding: ‘I tended to be one of those people who thought “do we really need to do this at every football match?”
More: Racism
‘But having seen just how close to the surface how hideously ugly racism among some English fans is, I totally get it why this squad throughout wanted to make a stand, day in, day out, every time they took to the pitch.
‘With the benefit of hindsight, I might have underestimated how close to the surface the racism is.’
The 55-year-old then took the knee himself. Three days later it was reported he had been ‘indefinitely taken off air’.
GB News declined to comment when contacted by Metro.co.uk.
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