After his disgusting sexist comments about journalist Ava Evans on right-wing U.K. news channel GB News, Laurence Fox was suspended by the broadcaster pending further investigation. Now that the investigation has concluded, Fox has been officially fired. And that’s not all.
He’s also been arrested.
Late last month, the 45-year-old Reclaim party founder went on a misogynistic rant about Evans, in which he said live on air that no “self-respecting man” would “shag” her. Fox was then suspended. On October 4, following internal investigations, he and another one of GB News’ presenters, Calvin Robinson, were sacked. In a statement, the channel said it had “ended its employment relationship” with Fox and that an internal investigation into Dan Wootton, on whose show Fox spewed his vile rant about Evans, “continues.” U.K. media watchdog Ofcom received more than 8,000 complaints after Fox’s vile diatribe.
In a double whammy for Fox, on the same day as he was fired, he was arrested on suspicion of conspiring to commit criminal damage to ULEZ (ultra-low emission zone) cameras. The cameras, which are found all across London, monitor the types of cars that drive in and out of certain zones in an effort to combat air pollution levels that are affected by car fumes. These cameras are monitored by Transport for London (TfL).
On X (formerly Twitter), Fox reposted a video of police in his home and, sounding like a whinging child, told viewers, “Look how many coppers there are in my house, look at them coming to steal everything, take everything out of my house. That, ladies and gentlemen, is the country that we live in.” He then gave the camera the thumbs up.
According to the BBC, in a statement that didn’t name the actor-turned-politician, the Metropolitan Police said: “On Wednesday 4 October, officers arrested a 45-year-old man on suspicion of conspiring to commit criminal damage to Ulez cameras and encouraging or assisting offences to be committed. He was arrested in Stockwell and has been taken to a south London police station, where he remains in custody.”
Amusingly, Fox found out about being fired from GB News while still in custody. Since then, he’s been released, though investigations are still ongoing. Sky News reported that Fox has now criticized GB News, calling it “GB Joke,” and he is apparently relieved to have been fired from the broadcaster.
Sure, Jan. Probably just as relieved as he was when his run for mayor of London in 2021 garnered him a mere 1.9% of the vote in the first voting round.
(via The Guardian, featured image: screencap/GB News)
Published: Oct 5, 2023 10:42 am