A former GB News presenter has alleged that he was sacked for calling Suella Braverman racist. Albie Amankona, who presented debate programme The Saturday Five until he was dropped last year, has taken the channel to an employment tribunal over a host of claims, including racial discrimination and unfair dismissal.
Mr Amankona called the former Home Secretary “a racist and a thoroughly bigoted woman”, comments that the broadcaster apologised for. They said the comments “crossed a line between robust debate and causing unnecessary offence,” as they added that Ms Braverman was “understandably upset”. Mr Amankona alleges that the comments underpinned the decision to remove him from air and the Tory commentator has crowdfunded to be able to take the claim to court, with help from the Good Law Project.
Mr Amankona presented the GB News programme from March 2023 until August 2024 when he was removed from air, allegedly due to comments made about Ms Braverman.
He said: “I regret that it has come to this, I have tried very hard to resolve matters privately and in good faith.
“Like so many fair-minded Britons I believe in free speech, fairness, the rule of law and I know right from wrong. GB News claims to stand for these values. My experience tells a different story.
“They must be held accountable, not only for cancelling me, but for seemingly treating non-white employees differently from white employees, and for abandoning the very values we Britons hold dear.”
Mr Amankona founded the Conservatives Against Racism For Equality group and has spoken widely on race in the UK on channels such as Sky and LBC.
The Good Law Project said: “GB News likes to brand itself as a champion of free speech and journalistic independence. But when one of its own presenters dared to call out racism and intolerance, the response was swift and severe: he was dropped instantly.
“It’s a familiar pattern – when free speech aligns with their agenda, they celebrate it. But the moment it challenges their narrative, the mask slips.”
GB News denies the claims. A spokesman said: “Mr Amankona’s claim is misconceived, without merit and being robustly defended.
“As the claim is ongoing we do not propose to comment further.”