Jon Gaunt sacked by Talksport
Tuesday, November 18, 2008 Despite our best efforts, Jon Gaunt has been sacked by Talksport. The BBC has the story HERE.
Jon's agent has issued the following press release:
Popular TV, radio and newspaper personality Jon Gaunt, who has been sacked this week by Talksport, said he is "bemused" by the station’s decision but vowed to continue his campaign to give 60,000 children in care a voice.
“I am bemused by their decision particularly as the 48 complaints Ofcom received (last year) were not upheld – indeed they were celebrated by Talksport who issued a press release congratulating me for being the most controversial presenter in the country.
“I am particularly disappointed by their decision when I apologised for the incident to both the audience and the councillor. The councillor has accepted my apology and agrees that we all need to focus on the bigger picture.
“I have received tremendous support from hundreds of fans as well as national celebrities following this story and my views remain the same.
“The main issue is not about Jon Gaunt making controversial statements or about him losing his job. It is about the thousands of kids in care who don’t have a voice. So if someone wants to smoke but will offer a child care, why shouldn’t they be allowed to look after children?
“If I have to lose my job and go through a legal battle to be able to stand up for children in care, so be it. I have been there. I know the emotional trauma they are going through. It happened to me when I was in care.
“If I am guilty of anything it is that I have stood by my principles. I regret the words used but not the passion behind them.”
I have just spoken to Jon who is in fighting mood. More to follow.
Reader Comments (40)
I'm very sorry to hear that Jon has got the sack and wish him all the very best in helping children find decent foster parents and not bigoted ones like that councillor.
It is a sad day for all when a man of principle is dismissed for saying what is on so many minds.
I hope Jon finds a position that allows him to speak his mind without fear or favour and allows him to fight for the underpriveleged children condemmned to the scrapheap by a government department that does not care.
There are too few Journalists left who have the courage to stand up for what is right, Jon Gaunt has earned his place alongside Bernstein and Woodhouse, Good luck Jon.
I am disgusted at the decision taken by Talksport.It would seem that anyone who dares to question the smoking ban and it's extension by Councils (in league with the anti-smoking lobby ) is seen as a target.
Just goes to show what a bunch of Nazis they really are. And just how much they hate being called Nazis.
All the more cause to keep on calling them that. And saying it louder.
You say that Jon is in fighting mood? I truly hope so. I was brainwashed intially, like so many within our country by the anti-smoking rhetoric, but it was when they started to call me a murderer, that I looked into it more.
There is a tipping point for everybody. This one has tipped jon and many more like him from the comments made on articles over this story.
The antis will end up destroying themselves with their own in-built extremism.
As I have seen on many comments - this country is big enough to cater for everybody.
I shall no longer listen to Talk-Sport ever again, as to me, it is obvious that they no longer offer lively and open debate. They must only offer debate that is PC correct and I hear enough of that from the government's own propaganda channel - the BBC.
All the best Jon - you'll need it against these heavily-funded, bribing, bigots!
Jon Gaunt is a talentless fool that deserved the sack from day one. Looks like talkSPORT just found a great excuse to get rid of him.
If Jon Gaunt was a 'talentless fool', Talksport would have got rid of him long ago. Talksport are controlled like most of the media.
I have to admit I have never listened to TalkSport, mainly because these days 'sport' tends to mean mainly football!
Having said that, the action that TalkSport have taken only goes to show how bigotted the radio station is and how this is no longer a free country with free speech - it is now a country where you can say what you like, so long as it agrees with the PC brigade and government puppets whose strings are pulled by the likes of ASH, CRUK, BHF and Big Pharma!
I am totally disgusted and ashamed to admit that I am British!
At least Jon still has his column in the Sun (I hope) and hopefully he will use it to best advantage as a loud, loud voice for the children in care who just need loving homes.
SHS has never harmed children in the home - in fact, it appears there is more proof to confirm it actually benefits them than there is to say otherwise!
If these politicians can't think for themselves and be objective then they should get the hell out of politics!
It's unbelievable these Heath Fascists are able to persecute smokers, unchecked, when the basis of their argument is a myth. All their time & effort seems to be spent on penalising smokers. As a result they have lost focus on the job they were appointed to. Talksport should be ashamed of themselves for not protecting this good man.
Just imagine if we were in a state of War with these Health Fasicts at the helm..."If you are caught smoking in the Trenches you will be shot!"
Heartbreaking.
If you oppose the party line, then you get the full works.
Bastards. Bastards all.
Its a disgrace that Jon Gaunt was sacked so as to put fear into other commentators to tow the pc line by putting a restriction on free speech and opinion thus making for dreary and boring radio programmes.
One wonders if these council/govt/bbc wankers's agenda is to keep as many young minds in their care rather than foster them out so its easier to brainwash them into their regeime in the future.
I for one am writing to Talksport to inform them that I have switched off since Jon Gaunt was sasked and I will never be switching back on again.
I used to live in Ilford until 4 years ago (lived in Ilford for 24 years) and I just wanted to say that I hope Michael Stark understands the passionate comments John Gaunt made to him in regards to the new policies for foster parents (smoking)! When you here of the stories of children like baby P, surely baby P would have been better off living in the company of two fantastic parents who happen to smoke rather than being beaten for fun every day! When will logic return to our councils and government rulers. Michael Stark should ensure that John Gaunt gets his job at TalkSport back instantly.
The truth realy hurts some people ,dosn't it?? Whats wrong with calling a somebaody who alienats an entire group of people a Nazi? If you listen to the PC brigade, every ill in Britain seems to be put down to either car drivers or smokers. Well, I'm both, and if you listen to the looney left, I'm responsable for killing at least 12 babys aday! How many of this country's "glorious dead" would be spinning in their graves if they could see what this country has become.
i do not live in the UK any longerbut have to put my two cents worth in you dont expect local goverment to have sence pc sa far as i can see has gone mad.regards the smoking ban,you can smoke in the house of parliment
I recall Mr. Gaunt being delighted when the public smoking ban come into force and also writing in his column for the sun newspaper about how it was right to refuse a smoker treatment on the NHS. Perhaps now Mr. Gaunt will realise that the public smoking ban was the thin end of the wedge. You cannot be selective regarding the smokers you believe it is OK to persecute.
Those smokers in Britain who believes that the nico nazis will stop at one point and starting to be reasonable should take a closer look at what is happening in Canada,
What You see here is what is in store for You there. Been watching this crusade against smokers for a while and noticed that every extreme measure taken in Canada will eventually adapted in Britain in roughly 12 to 18 months later.
The latest push in Canada is the attempt to ban smoking in highrises and multiple housing units. Inside of the units. So far, only a few so called success stories but the attempt is relentless and there is a slow but steady gains. Same story with banning smoking outside in some areas. Public parks also targeted.
Some places adapted a 9 meter ban from a doorway. Same story, slow but steady gains.
Some public housing banned smoking inside.
Smoking banned in cars when minors present in many places and the numbers is growing.
Display of tobacco products banned for a while now in most places. Prices for legal cigarettes skyrocketed and only a very active black market for illegal cigarettes keeping it from going through the roof. A much stepped up efforts to contain the black market cigarettes.
Some shopping malls banned smoking not just inside but outside as well. Even in Your own car in the parking lot.Same with nearly all hospitals.
haha goodbye john gaunt. you cannot host a argument without shouting over your opponent!!! Your never wrong and accept anyone else's point! A great decision by talk sport. Well done
So the Nazi's win again, another victory for stupidity over common sence. the more we let NuNazi sorry NuLabour, persecute & dehumanise smokers the more tyranical power they seek. there is only one way tp deal with nazi's
kill em ...kill em all, that is my father's
take on them, i wouldnt go that far, i would have Gordon Brown arrested & stand trial for his crimes against the people, ''the effects of second hand smoke'' everyone in Britain knows that there are NO ''effects of seconhand smoke'' MADNESS PURE MADNESS
Let me just say that i am one of the 13,000,000
smokers of Britain (35%-40% of the electorate)
behing persecuted by the 'etablishment'
do they believe that the British people will evey forgive them for this mindless bigotry
'a law against the will of the people based on lies (passive smoking hogwash) driven by intolerance, for one aim, to presecute and de humanise an enormouse number of people'
Nazi's i hate them.
make no mistake they ARE trying to kill us,
another trick used by the German Nazi's & the American cavelry, The cheapest way to kill large numbers of people is to make them stand outside in the freezing cold,
I have had enough now, crusifiction is too good for them, i say but we must Nail some sence into this tiny minority of extreme right wing Zelots & their puppets in high places, dont forget THEY are supposed to be OUR representatives, To prevent even one child from having a loving familly around him or her, because if these feeble lies makes me sick to my stomache & ashamed to be born in this wreched nation.
John & all other unbrainwashed people out there resist & fight this apauling Nazi establishment with all your might.
merry christmas
jon kenney
Freedom of speech RIP
good to say there's a few seen people left here at least
cant beleive gaunty has been sacked dont listen to the station now its not the same with out you big boy!!!!!
this imbecile should never have been given a job at talksport in the first place,
I did not always agree with gaunty though I enjoyed how he put his point across. His show was 1st class more than can be said for the halfwit councillors or public sevants that were put up to argue the party line whoever they were. Jacquispliff priceless what a useless woman put in her place but was so stupid she continued to put her foot in it.I will wait and see where you pop up next Jon.
Never a great fan of J.G., but he sure beats having to listen to Ronnie Irani.
Just a brief note, I never fully agreed with Jon,s way of shouting people down, however, this man has principles and has been fired for being honest. It is a sad day when the freedom of speech is taken from us by the politically correct idiots, who now seem to run this country.
I don't usually care much for John Gaunt and his 'I've got more money than you so I'm right mentality.'
However the way he has been treated is disgusting and shows how freedom (be it of speech or to smoke) has been eroded in this country.
Talksport,Wake up and smell the Coffee!
People don't remark Jon Gaunt for Prime Minister for no reason.
Why put Jon " on air " in the first place.
You know he talks sence!
Jon, Thank God you are speaking up for the children in social care.
The damage to children without a family of their own is awful, so many young lives ruined.
To deny children a home with someone who smokes is cruel in the extreem, to the child.
I smoke and I worked for a while in a homeless comunity, many of them from social care.
Talksport was wrong to sack you, you deserve so much better.
It would seem that the "youghurt knitters,tree hugging twits with an a have yet again dictated their arrogant beleifs into the lives of everyday man by forcing talksport into sacking Guanty.
When Mike Dicken was killed I thought that we were going to get some selfcentered,so up himself pr*t ofa presenter(I'd never read Jon Guant in the press).How wrong can you be.
I NO LONGER LISTEN TO TALKSPORT
Sorry to see Jon Gaunt go.Talk Sport is not the same without him.
Bring the big boy back!!!!!!!!!
People should never be penalised for what they say. Give John Gaunt his job back.
Ihave never listened to Jon Gaunt but I applaud anyone who stands up for our dwindling civil liberties. To be sacked when exonerated is simply unfair dismissal.
Sorry to see gaunty go, who cares for a foster parent if they smoke (out the back door in the kitchen) at least the child has parents to be loved.
I vote john big boy back but if he was offered the job back on talk sport would he take it? i would like to hope so, as said before the station isnt the same without gaunty.
I have Talksport on all the time and have listened to J.G. on many occasions, he comes across as a man who has his point of view and no matter what opinion anybody else has if they don't agree with his they wont be on air for long and then when he hangs up on the caller he will "badmouth" them.
As you can tell im NOT his greatest fan and don't agree with to much he says, BUT I don't like the idea of people getting sacked for a "slip" off the tongue (allegedly)
Glad I wont have to listen to his squeaky rantings again, shame about WHY he was sacked
Kev G.Y.
gaunty had racist tendencies but never crossed the line, obviously because he would have got the sack. This was probably the only way talksport could have got rid of him. He always cut off anyone who he knew would out-talk him.
Unbeleivable decision to sack Gaunty!!
I have been listening to Talksport for a very long time listening throughout the day.
The station does not seem to be going in the right direction now.
The Breakfast show only talks about what the present pair are doing in their social life or London football teams.
Please bring Gaunty back & get rid of the cricketer.
Glad that talksport have sacked another loud mouthed clown. As with the last one they sacked
it was the correct decision otherwise the company would be facing legal action.The question is which one of the current bunch is next for the chop
I don't understand how anyone can deny the effects of Secondhand Smoke, Passive Smoking, whatever you want to call it, when it's been scientifically proven. Children put into the care of smokers would suffer a lot in the longterm, but the decision whether or not that child should be put into the care of a smoker shouldn't be deemed by the government at all.
Jon Gaunt was probably the most annoying man , with the most annoying voice on radio . talksport did the right thing by getting shut of him . he became more of a liability every day . there was no way you could debate with him because he would chop you down by interupting you constantly . just a radio bully really .