Losses deepen at GB News as network moves to fend off rival TalkTV

Hiring costs for presenters such as Nigel Farage and Jacob Rees-Mogg balloon while advertisers stay wary of right-leaning channel

GB News made a loss of more than 30m in its first year on air, as the right-leaning news channel invested in hiring presenters to combat the launch of rival TalkTV.

The controversy-prone channel which launched in June 2021 racked up a pre-tax loss of 30.7m in the year to the end of May 2022, a period in which it hired former Ukip leader Nigel Farage to host a nightly primetime show.