GBeebies trends after GB News viewers give show a nickname

New channel has been mercilessly mocked since launching last week

The new TV network GB News has been mocked mercilessly on Twitter, with many users dubbing the channel “GBeebies”.

GB News launched on Sunday night (13 June). The channel’s chairman Andrew Neil kicked things off by introducing the GB News team, including the former Brexit Party candidate and Apprentice winner Michelle Dewberry, ex-Sky News reporter Colin Brazier, and former Sun showbiz columnist Dan Wootton.

GB News’s opening interview, with anti-lockdown presenter Neil Oliver, was plagued by audio issues, with Oliver inaudible and the show’s producers overheard whispering to each other.

With branding heavy in the colours of the Union Jack and segments labelled “Wokewatch” and “Free Speech Nations”, it’s been speculated that the channel could herald the arrival of highly partisan Fox News-style coverage in the UK.

Since the channel’s launch, the name “GBeebies” – a reference to children’s network CBeebies – has been trending on Twitter.

“Millennials finally have a ‘just be quiet and watch that for a few hours’ channel for their parents. #GBeebies,” tweeted one person.

“Calling GB News #GBeebies is really offensive to the good work being done at CBeebies,” joked another.

GB News is available on Sky on channel 515, Freeview channel 236 and Virgin Media channel 626.