GB News presenter Dan Wootton makes on-air statement on allegations

ITV News correspondent Rebecca Barry reports on Dan Wootton's response to the allegations

GB News Presenter Dan Wootton has opened his show on the channel with a statement responding to recent allegations made against him by his ex-partner.

Wootton, executive editor and presenter of Dan Wootton Tonight, a MailOnline columnist and former The Sun executive editor and showbiz journalist, has been the focus of recent allegations that he paid money for videos of sexual activity.

The 40-year-old did not directly address the allegations but branded claims on social media about him a “smear campaign” by “nefarious players with an axe to grind.”

In his statement, which ran to more than six minutes of the programme, he said: "As a journalist I feel uncomfortable, but as a journalist I feel uncomfortable being the story... but I've always promised you that this show has no spin, and no bias, and no censorship, so I owe it to you to address this.

He labelled social media a “cesspit” where had been targeted by a “smear campaign.”

Wootton added: “I, like all fallible humans, have made errors of judgement in the past, but the criminal allegations being made against me are simply untrue."

Wootton, a New Zealand native, recently posted on social media that he had been away visiting family in the country.

Byline Times published allegations made against Wootton by his ex-partner and others as the broadcaster returned to air on Monday evening, and The Guardian also published similar allegations on Tuesday.

Wootton made the statement on Tuesday night as GB News, and his former employers, came under pressure to respond to the allegations contained in the article.

The allegations centre on a period when Wootton worked across The Sun and the Mail.

Wootton has also previously appeared as a showbiz presenter on the ITV Breakfast show Lorraine.

The Sun’s publisher, News UK, said in a statement to ITV News on Tuesday evening: “We are looking into the allegations made in recent days. We are not able to make any further comment at this stage.”

A spokesperson for DMG Media, the Mail Online’s parent company, said: “We areaware of the allegations and are looking into them.”

A spokesperson for GB News said the broadcaster had no comment at this time.

Wootton is known for his role in breaking the story of Megxit – the withdrawal of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex from royal duties, when he worked for The Sun.

After leaving the tabloid, Wootton became a presenter at GB News and columnist for MailOnline, owned by DMG Media, which is also a publisher of the Daily Mail newspaper.

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