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Louise Thomas
Editor
Nigel Farage is set to return to GB News next week after being elected as an MP on his eighth attempt, the channel has confirmed.
The Reform UK leader, 60, formally took his seat in the House of Commons as the representative for the Essex seaside constituency of Clacton after he was sworn in on Thursday.
He cancelled his GB News show, which he hosted Monday to Thursday each week, in May to free up time to help with the general election campaigning for Reform UK.
But the channel announced on Thursday Mr Farage is planning to broadcast from its studios in Westminster three times a week from next week. It is not known how much Mr Farage will be paid by GB News, but his election to parliament means he will be forced to reveal the figure in his register of financial interests.
Ofcom has repeatedly found that GB News has breached broadcasting rules on impartiality, which allow politicians to present current affairs programmes but not act as newsreaders.
The media watchdog has investigated programmes presented by former Tory MP Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg as well as former Conservative minister without portfolio Esther McVey and former backbencher Philip Davies. Married couple Ms McVey and Mr Davies are no longer part of the channel’s line-up.
In May, GB News said it was beginning a challenge against Ofcom after the broadcasting regulator warned the channel that it is considering enforcement methods that could include a fine or revoking its licence.
Their backlash came after the regulator ruled that GB News broke broadcasting due impartiality rules following the airing of the programme, People’s Forum: The Prime Minister, where Rishi Sunak was questioned by the public.
Ofcom said it did not feature an “appropriately wide range of significant viewpoints” and called compliance by the channel “wholly insufficient”.
After initially saying he would not run as a candidate, Mr Farage changed his mind and announced he would stand in Clacton in early June.
He also took over as leader of Reform UK, representing the party within the major multi-party broadcasting debates held on BBC and ITV.
He first contested a parliamentary election 30 years ago, the 1994 by-election in Eastleigh, Hampshire, where his UK Independence Party came fourth.
He later contested seats throughout southern England as the Ukip candidate before his Clacton win for Reform UK, with 21,225 votes, ahead of the Tories’ Giles Watling on 12,820.
