Andrew Neil, Kirsty Gallacher and Alastair Stewart among GB News’ key talent

New channel GB News will launch on Sunday with a roster of big names from the world of TV news.

Here is a look at the key talent.

Andrew Neil

The veteran broadcaster is the face and chairman of GB News.

Best known for The Andrew Neil Show, as well as This Week and Daily Politics on the BBC, Neil left the corporation last year.

He had been one of their most respected political interviewers but last summer the BBC confirmed that Neil’s self-titled show would not return to TV screens after it came off air during the pandemic.

After his departure was announced, he said he felt “no animosity or desire to settle scores”.
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Neil will lead the new channel’s evening line-up with a prime-time news and interview programme.

Kirsty Gallacher

The former Sky Sports and Sky Sports News presenter will form part of the broadcaster’s breakfast team.

The TV star previously presented Channel 4 morning show RI:SE and also appeared in Strictly Come Dancing in 2015.

Other TV credits include Kirsty’s Home Videos, Gladiators, Simply The Best and the reality series The Games.

She will host morning show The Great British Breakfast with Darren McCaffrey and Rosie Wright while also working on other programmes.

Michelle Dewberry

The businesswoman and former Apprentice winner will host her own show, called Dewbs & Co every weeknight.

Dewberry won the popular BBC show, fronted by Lord Alan Sugar, in 2006 and has been a fixture on television ever since, appearing on shows including Newsnight, Question Time, Politics Live and as a presenter of Sky News debate show The Pledge.

A vocal Brexiteer, she announced in 2017 she was standing for Parliament as an independent candidate in the Hull West and Hessle constituency

She ran again in 2019 for the Brexit party but failed to win the seat.

Alastair Stewart

Broadcasting veteran Stewart will host a weekend news and current affairs programme called Alastair Stewart & Friends.

He was one of the main newsreaders at ITV News for more than 35 years and anchored the News At Ten, covering royal weddings and elections and reported on the fall of the Berlin Wall and the first Gulf War.

Stewart also moderated the UK’s first ever debate between prime ministerial candidates David Cameron, Gordon Brown and Nick Clegg in 2010.

Simon McCoy

McCoy was a fixture of the BBC for almost 18 years and frequently went viral for his reactions and funny asides while anchoring the news.

He made headlines in the new year when he told viewers there would be a package of the “highlights of 2020” only for nothing to appear on screen and the news anchor to say: “Exactly, it’s farewell 2020.”

He also accidentally began a news report with a refill pack of A4 printer paper in his hands, instead of the usual iPad.

He got the giggles while reporting on a man playing the piano to monkeys and, when introducing a segment on the “world dog surfing championships”, sighed and told viewers: “Just bear in mind it is August.”

He joined Sky News at its launch in 1989 and was a royal correspondent before presenting Sunrise and Tonight programmes.

He will co-host an afternoon programme with journalist Alex Phillips.

Gloria De Piero

The former Labour MP was political editor of GMTV for seven years before her election in 2010.

She was MP for Ashfield for nine years but announced she would not stand in the 2019 general election as she criticised the party’s “lack of tolerance”.

She will host a weekday afternoon programme with economist Liam Halligan.

Dan Wootton

The former executive editor of The Sun, known for his role in breaking the story of Megxit, will present Tonight Live With Dan Wootton five nights a week.

The Mail columnist previously hosted a shot on Talkradio and was a presenter on ITV’s Lorraine.

He hit headlines last year when actor Johnny Depp launched a libel claim against the publisher of The Sun over a column by Wootton, which referred to “overwhelming evidence” Depp had assaulted ex-wife Amber Heard.

Following a three-week trial in July last year, Mr Justice Nicol dismissed the Hollywood star’s claim, finding that an April 2018 column calling Mr Depp a “wife beater” was “substantially true”.