TalkSport presenter and Sun columnist Jon Gaunt has been fired by the UTV-owned radio station for calling a London councillor a “Nazi”.
Gaunt was originally suspended from the station following remarks made on 7 November to Redbridge councillor Michael Stark in a heated discussion about a local authority plan to ban smokers from becoming foster parents. He called Stark an ‘ignorant pig’and a Nazi.
An investigation followed and Gaunt issued an on air-apology and claimed that he meant to say ‘health Nazi”, but despite this his employment was terminated today.
TalkSport said it had received a number of complaints over the broadcast.
A TalkSport spokesman said: ‘TalkSport yesterday terminated presenter Jon Gaunt’s contract following an interview with Redbridge Council’s Cllr Michael Stark on Friday 7 November.
“The decision follows an internal TalkSport investigation that was instigated following complaints about the content and nature of the broadcast.
“The radio station has apologised to the councilor for the manner in which the interview was conducted.”
Presenter Ian Collins, who replaced Gaunt during the investigation, will continue occupying Gaunt’s slot indefinitely.
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