Ex-comic 'permanently relieved' of his duties

Mark Dolan has been axed by GB News.

The former comedian revealed that he had parted ways with the controversial broadcaster on social media.

He posted on X last night: ‘SOME NEWS I’ve hosted my last Mark Dolan TONIGHT on GB News More to follow… 

An hour later he added: ‘STATEMENT GB News have made the decision to permanently relieve me of my duties at the channel. I will speak publicly about this in due course.’

Meanwhile, Andrew Doyle is stepping back from his GB News show,  Free Speech Nation, with fellow comedian Josh Howie taking the reins of the 7pm to 9pm show.

However it is understood Doyle will continue to be a regular contributor to the station’s output. 

On his last show, the comic said he had ’other creative projects I want to pursue’, including a possible sitcom, adding: 'I’m going to be keeping up my relationship with GB News’

Last week, Chortle reported how he would be forming a new production company with Graham Linehan, as the Father Ted co-creator tries to reboot his career in the US after becoming a virtual pariah in British broadcasting because of his vehement stance against trans rights.

Dolan, 50, had been with the broadcaster since 2021, joining from TalkRadio.

As a stand-up, his material was broadly liberal, as the below clip praising migrants for their tenancy shows, but he fully embraced the right-wing talking points of his new employers.

In the wake of Donald Trump’s US election visitor he said: ‘Forget about global warming. I'm starting to think it is  left wing tears that will cause sea levels to rise dangerously in the years ahead.’

And he said a similar revolution would come to Britain in five years if ‘Starmer hasn't turned Britain into a floating island of garbage like Puerto Rico by then’.

No reason has been given for Dolan's departure, which came amid a number of staff changes on the channel.

But GB News’s head of talent, Ben Briscoe, said of the shake-up: ‘2024 has been a truly fantastic year for us. Not only are we regularly beating the other established news channels, but we are also making inroads against the big public serving broadcasters terrestrial channels

‘Our initiatives will allow us to build on this success with a renewed focus and ambition.’

Published: 19 Dec 2024