News UK have confirmed Tom Newton Dunn will not be returning to the Baby Shard. The press release is light on details, although TND offered a statement:
“I’m very grateful to News UK for giving me so many opportunities with The Sun, the Times titles, and the move to broadcast. Helping to launch Times Radio and then a new TV channel 18 months ago has been a huge privilege. It feels now is the right time though for me to move on.
“An incredible year in politics on both sides of the Atlantic is coming up and that has created a new opportunity, which I’m looking forward to. I also hope to keep contributing to News UK titles.
“I’m going to take a well-needed break first and concentrate on recharging the batteries. It’s been a busy couple of decades. I look forward to the next challenge.”
We first reported his suspension for inappropriate behaviour in mid-June, News UK officially maintained the pretence that he was on leave, despite clues as to otherwise, until the inevitable.
The long, long holiday has been extended into perpetuity.
Can you spot the difference from last week? There is a new line up coming in September to shake up the struggling TalkTV channel. Officially News UK insist that Tom Newton Dunn is still on leave. If these walls could talk, what would they say?
Yesterday marked two months since Tom Newton Dunn appeared on-screen. His long, long holiday from TalkTV continues, although these pictures from inside the studio green room at the Baby Shard reveal he still has (googly) eyes everywhere. Perhaps that is why someone has moved his picture to a new location:
Last night’s BARB viewing figures for GB News and TalkTV are listed below. Clearly, GB News is still miles ahead, with all its prime time stars thrashing the competition over in the Baby Shard. Farage’s anti-woke banking crusade pulled in nearly 200,000 viewers at its peak. No wonder GB News told Murdoch they’re not for sale…
Peak audience:
GB News
Dewbs & Co 94,900
Nigel Farage 197,600
Jacob Rees-Mogg 111,300
Dan Wootton 125,900TalkTV
Vanessa Feltz 14,900
Jeremy Kyle 10,600
Piers Morgan 42,900
The Talk 43,700
First Edition 9,900
Jacob Rees-Mogg is now regularly pulling in two to three times as many viewers as Piers Morgan, with the latter settling at around 40,000 viewers every night. First Edition, the show which was supposed to be fronted by Tom Newton Dunn, is now touching the 10,000 viewer milestone since he went on his long, long holiday…
Exactly five weeks have passed since Tom Newton Dunn’s face graced a handful of TV screens. Since then, a full roster of presenters have covered his spot on First Edition, with Rosanna Lockwood now making more regular appearances. TalkTV definitely seem to like her. As for when Newton Dunn will return following his very long holiday… Guido hears producers have booked step-in hosts until at least the end of July. The rumour in the Baby Shard is that won’t nearly cover it…
Tom Newton Dunn was last seen on TalkTV twenty days ago, on June 8th. He signed off that show by thanking his handful of viewers for watching, and promising “we’ll be back at the same time on Monday”. He wasn’t back on Monday though, since then a handful of guest hosts have anchored First Edition – Newton Dunn has disappeared.
Guido first reported the rumours within News UK that he’d been “suspended” for two weeks after 14 complaints of “inappropriate behaviour“, with News UK corporate affairs getting in touch to insist Tom “is currently on leave.” 14 days from June 8th was last Thursday. He has been gone for nearly three weeks, and didn’t even appear at the News UK summer party hosted by Rupert Murdoch. Has anyone seen him?
