Dan Wootton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dan Wootton
|
|
|---|---|
Wootton in 2024
|
|
| Born |
Daniel John William Wootton
2 March 1983 |
| Citizenship |
|
| Alma mater | Victoria University of Wellington |
| Occupation |
|
Daniel John William Wootton (born 2 March 1983) is a journalist and broadcaster from New Zealand and the United Kingdom. He is known for his work in newspapers and on television.
In 2007, he started working at the News of the World newspaper. Later, in 2013, he joined The Sun on Sunday. He became the editor of the "Bizarre" column there. In 2016, he moved to The Sun as an associate editor. By 2018, he was promoted to executive editor. Wootton also appeared on ITV shows like Lorraine and Daybreak. He was also a regular guest on Big Brother's Bit on the Side. In 2021, he left News UK to write for MailOnline and host a show on GB News.
In September 2023, Wootton was suspended from GB News. This happened after a guest on his show, Laurence Fox, made inappropriate comments about journalist Ava Evans. GB News called these comments "totally unacceptable." Wootton apologized, saying he should have stopped the comments. His contract with MailOnline was then ended. The broadcasting regulator Ofcom investigated the incident. They found that the show broke their rules. On 5 March 2024, Wootton announced he had left GB News. He launched his own platform called Dan Wootton Outspoken.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Daniel John William Wootton was born in Wellington, New Zealand, in 1983. His parents were British. His mother was born in Basildon, Essex, and his father was born in Malta.
Wootton grew up in Lower Hutt, New Zealand. He went to Naenae College. After that, he studied at Victoria University of Wellington. He earned a degree in media studies and political science.
Journalism Career
Wootton began his career as a journalist in New Zealand. He wrote an entertainment column for The Dominion Post. He also reported for the TV show Good Morning.
When he was 21, he moved to the United Kingdom. He worked for trade magazines before joining Broadcast magazine.
Working at News of the World
In February 2007, Wootton joined the TV team at News of the World. He became the TV editor in November 2007. From November 2008 until the newspaper closed in July 2011, he was the show-business editor. After News of the World closed, he wrote columns for the Daily Mail. He also worked as an editor-at-large for Now magazine.
Time at The Sun
In 2013, Wootton joined The Sun newspaper. He started a new column that appeared on Sundays. In 2014, he became the editor of the newspaper's "Bizarre" column. He was promoted to associate editor for showbiz and TV in 2016. He won 'Showbiz reporter of the year' at the British Press Awards in 2010, 2013, and 2018. Wootton also appeared on ITV's morning show Lorraine. He was a guest on BBC Radio 5 Live.
In 2015, Wootton and The Sun faced criticism for an article he wrote. The article was called "Hollywood HIV Panic." Health experts said the article was "irresponsible." They felt it could increase negative feelings towards people with HIV.
Radio and Major Stories
From March 2018, Wootton hosted a weekly Talkradio show called Dan's Dilemmas. In February 2020, he took over the station's drivetime show.
Wootton was recognized for breaking the story about Megxit in The Sun. This happened on 8 January 2020. The story led to Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, announcing their plans to step back from royal duties. Wootton stated he had given their spokesperson notice before the story was published.
Moving to GB News and MailOnline
In January 2021, Wootton announced he would leave The Sun and talkRADIO. He became a columnist for MailOnline. He also started presenting a daily show on GB News, four days a week. In November 2021, his GB News show, Tonight Live with Dan Wootton, was renamed Dan Wootton Tonight. Its length was also shortened.
Recent Events
On 26 September 2023, during an episode of Dan Wootton Tonight, a guest made inappropriate comments about a journalist. Wootton was seen laughing at times. He later apologized, saying he should have stepped in. Following this, private messages between Wootton and the guest were shared. These messages seemed to show Wootton reacting with laughing emojis. The guest was dismissed by GB News. Wootton was suspended while an investigation took place.
Ofcom, the broadcasting regulator, started an investigation. They received nearly 9,000 complaints about the episode. This was the highest number of complaints for any British TV broadcast in 2023. On 28 September 2023, while suspended, Wootton's contract with MailOnline was ended.
On 4 March 2024, Ofcom concluded that the show had broken their rules. They stated that the guest's remarks were a "highly personal attack." Ofcom added that Wootton's reaction did not help the situation. Instead, it made it worse by focusing on a woman's appearance.
On 5 March 2024, Wootton announced his departure from GB News. He launched his own independent platform, Dan Wootton Outspoken.
Images for kids
-
Dan Wootton in 2024
See also
In Spanish: Dan Wootton para niños
