An ‘anti-woke’ comedian who frequently appears on GB News has apparently vanished from the controversial channel in recent days.
Leo Kearse, a stand-up comic from Scotland, has gained a reputation over the years for his right-wing comedy, which challenges phenomena related to cancel culture and supposed left-wing bias at the BBC.
Kearse, 47, regularly appears on GB News as part of its Headliners programme, and also presents his own show, Saturday Night Showdown.
But in recent days viewers have spotted that Kearse has been missing from his usual slots, with reports indicating that his absence could be related to an investigation into him by advocacy group Hope Not Hate.
The organisation, which was founded in 2004, has spent 20 years campaigning against racism and fascism in the UK and abroad, describing itself as ‘non-partisan’.
According to reports in The Times, the group have claimed Kearse is using an anonymous account to post ‘hate-filled’ rants on social media – Kearse has not been seen on GB News since these claims were made.
Hope Not Hate is said to have linked Kearse to a private account on the cloud-based messaging website Telegram which has used terms regarded as racist slurs against people from south Asia.
The account is also said to have referred to poor, working-class British people as ‘peasants’ while describing Scotland as a ‘s**thole’ that was ‘full of fat feminine socialist g***s’.
Now deleted, the account posted under the name Neo Glaive and was seen interacting with Buhanka Watch, a channel focusing on the current war in Ukraine which Kearse had endorsed in the past.
Homophobic and misogynistic insults were also recorded coming from the account by Hope Not Hate, who also noted that the account had supported pseudo-scientific theories, claiming that white people ‘genetically trend towards increased intelligence’.
They said: ‘His endorsement of race science, abuse of ethnic groups and working-class Brits and celebration of the Moscow attack should be a red line for GB News and the advertisers who pay their bills.’
Kearse didn’t present his usual Saturday night show over the weekend, sparking suspicion that GB News have suspended him from hosting duties until the allegations are cleared up.
So far, the comedian has not acknowledged the allegations and his GB News shows are still referred to in his Twitter bio. GB News are also yet to comment on the investigation by Hope Not Hate.
If Leo Kearse has made his final appearance on the divisive news channel, it’ll be the most recent case of a host leaving the station after online controversies.
Laurence Fox, 45, was sacked by GB News in October 2023 following a string of remarks about Ava Evans, a political correspondent, including asking, ‘Who would want to shag that?’
Fox was initially suspended before being arrested and sacked on the same day – he was arrested ‘on suspicion of conspiring to commit criminal damage to ULEZ cameras and encouraging or assisting offences to be committed’.
Metro.co.uk have contacted GB News for more information.
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