MAILONLINE has terminated the contract of its columnist Dan Wootton, a spokesperson for the news site’s parent company said.
It comes after actor-turned-politician Laurence Fox made a series of remarks about political correspondent Ava Evans during a discussion on Dan Wootton Tonight on Tuesday.
A spokesperson for DMG Media, the parent company of MailOnline, said: “Following events this week, DMG Media can confirm that Dan Wootton’s freelance column with MailOnline – which had already been paused – has now been terminated, along with his contract.”
The 40-year-old had written a regular column for the online outlet since 2021 but it was paused in August while the publication investigated allegations he used a pseudonym and offered colleagues money for sexual material.
Wootton previously said he had made “errors of judgment” in the past but branded the “criminal allegations” as “simply untrue”.
Wootton was suspended from GB News along with Fox after he talked about Evans, including asking: “Who would want to shag that?”
Wootton has apologised for the remarks, saying he “regretted” the interview.
Both Fox and Wootton were suspended by GB News amid an internal investigation and a probe by regulator Ofcom, while Evans said she had received an apology from the broadcaster.
Wootton has since apologised “unreservedly” for a “very unfortunate lapse in judgment” in a follow-up post to an earlier apology, which suggested he should have apologised for what was said during the broadcast.
Speaking about the impact of the comments on Good Morning Britain, Evans said: “I’m deeply embarrassed by all of it and I’m appreciative for everyone who has very kindly stood up for me, but it’s sort of the other side of it, which is half of the comments are very lovely and supportive, and the other side are very threatening.
“(They say) I’m somehow part of this global agenda that is trying to bring down men and I hate all men and therefore I need to watch my back and be very careful because there are certain people who now are threatening to come after me.
“It feels ridiculous even saying it (but) my direct messages on social media are full of people threatening me.”
When asked if she had reported the messages to the police, she said: “I haven’t yet, it has only been a day and I’m still sort of trying to get my head around it, but reading them is honestly astounding.
“Most of the time I cover trade unions and picket lines, and now I feel like I’ve been thrown into something that is just so ridiculous and hyperbolic that is nothing to do with me really.”
Evans said the apology from GB News suggested the incident “didn’t reflect the rest of the views on the channel”.
She continued: “I’m sure that’s true to a degree … but there’s certainly a narrative that is pervasive after 10pm on that channel, that I just don’t think it’s safe for women to watch, consume or be around.”
