A GB News row erupted on GB News when Lizzie Cundy launched a passionate defence of TV star Rylan Clark against accusations that he had spread dangerous misinformation about immigration.
The clash occurred between Ms Cundy and Ben McLaine from Turn Left Media, who argued that Clark’s recent comments on ITV’s This Morning programme contained factual inaccuracies that could harm vulnerable people.
“I am so livid at what you said,” Ms Cundy declared during the heated exchange with Mr McLaine.
The dispute centred on whether Mr Clark’s remarks constituted legitimate free speech or potentially harmful rhetoric.
Mr McLaine insisted that “facts don’t care about your feelings” and claimed Mr Clark’s statements were “factually untrue and based on disinformation.”
He warned that such misinformation “directly affects” real people and could contribute to violence against migrants.
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The controversy stemmed from a Wednesday edition of ITV’s This Morning, where he delivered an impassioned monologue about immigration policy during a discussion with guests Camilla Tominey and Tim Campbell.
“This country is built on immigration,” Mr Clark stated, acknowledging that “a lot of the nurses, the doctors that have saved my mum’s life have come over here from other countries.”
However, he expressed frustration about the treatment of those arriving via small boats, saying it seemed like the message was “Welcome, come on in.”
He questioned why someone arriving without documentation by boat would receive “the iPad,” “three meals a day,” and accommodation in hotels with “a games room,” whilst British citizens couldn’t enter the country without proper identification.
Following online backlash, he posted on social media: “You can be pro immigration and against illegal routes.”
Mr McLaine argued that Mr Clark’s rhetoric echoed dangerous narratives that lead to real-world consequences, including incidents where “people throw bricks at windows of hotels” housing asylum seekers.
He expressed particular concern about support from controversial figures, stating that Mr Clark had “Tommy Robinson, a multiple-convicted fraudster and founder of the EDL backing him,” which he suggested should be cause for alarm.
The Turn Left Media representative maintained that spreading such narratives about migrants receiving preferential treatment was not merely offensive but constituted harmful disinformation.
He emphasised that the individuals affected by such rhetoric were “quite vulnerable” and that the consequences of inflammatory language extended beyond mere political debate.
Mr McLaine rejected the notion that this was simply about freedom of expression, insisting the issue was fundamentally about accuracy and the potential for inciting hostility.
Ms Cundy vigorously rejected Mr McLaine’s characterisation, insisting that Mr Clark was expressing legitimate concerns shared by many British citizens about immigration policy.
“People are genuinely scared about what is going on in their towns,” she argued, defending the right to voice such worries without being labelled as spreading misinformation.
She highlighted that almost 60,000 people had arrived illegally since Labour took office, asserting that Mr Clark was “correct to say what he said.”
“That’s what it’s about, freedom of speech. If you don’t like it, go to China,” Cundy declared.
Mr McLaine countered that Britain shouldn’t become “a bitter, curtain-twitching, Big Brother state” and called for standing up against what he termed misinformation about migrants.
GB News host Patrick Christys suggested Mr McLaine might be “ignoring some of the facts” regarding documented cases of violence involving illegal migrants.
