for taking. you for taking. >> good evening everybody. there are not many things in life that make me nervous, especially broadcasting live on gb news because i just come on and just because i just come on and just be myself. i've got to tell you, those two magnificent creatures on live television was without a doubt the most terrifying thing i've ever done. but hey, what a spectacular start to the show. this is not our usual hard hitting political debate. this is a christmas special. we've got a huge audience here in maidstone, and we're going to begin with some reflections on the year. for me, 2023 was a big yeah the year. for me, 2023 was a big year. i was debanked by coots, part of the natwest group, and they thought i'd be too embarrassed to go public about it. well, they picked on the wrong bloke, didn't they? i then started this year, having come fresh out of the jungle, and

that was really quite an experience. i'm a celebrity, quite an experience. pleased i did it. so i started off this year incredibly thin, detoxed in every way. an awful lot has gone wrong since then, i have to tell you. but perhaps for me, the most important part of the year wasn't to do with gb news or politics. believe it or not, it was the birth of my two grandsons, harrison and sebastian. and wow, that was a really, really, really special moment. they've they've got a bit bigger than those pictures since the summer, but i don't know what it was. but rishi went for this early election and i thought, what do i do? is it really time for me to get back involved in politics? well, i took the plunge on the 3rd of

june and i did it, and i did it to the soundtrack of eminem back again. >> jvt. thank you. >> jvt. thank you. >> thank you very much. thank thank you, thank you thank. oh, deanl thank you, thank you thank. oh, dear. i really shouldn't be so understated, should i? i was also really thrilled for the second year in a row to get tv news presenter of the year from the tric awards, something that is voted for by the great british public, not chosen by the industry because i wouldn't have had a chance with them . have had a chance with them. >> and i think the. >> and i think the. >> the growth of gb news, the fact we're way ahead of the woke sky news, which has become virtually unwatchable, the patronising bbc and i think on this channel, i think what you get if you watch us live on catchup, listen to us on the

radio. i think what you genuinely get with this channel, you get both sides of the debate and often it's very passionate. but we don't bar anybody. we don't believe in censorship. we believe we need to hear all these arguments. and we also believe that the audience at home are big enough and ugly enough to make up their own minds. and i think the success of gb news really is a revolution in broadcasting in this country. and, you know, we've got nearly 500 people here, and all i did was mention twice on my show i was coming to maidstone. this is a broadcasting phenomenon and i honestly believe that gb news has only just begun, i really do, i really do. now, i can't. something else happened in politics this year that was quite a big deal, a great deal. the greatest, the best. and it was amazing. i mean, there were day before a us presidential election, quite what i've got to

do with it. i've absolutely no idea. but i get a shout out from the donald. >> he was the big winner of the last election in the uk, and he's a very spectacular man, very highly respected nigel farage. you know what a what an honour it was. >> what an honour it was to be a mar—a—lago in the ballroom on november the 5th, the next day after that, as the results came in, no press, no cameras, just trump his family, his friends, his backers, the members of mar—a—lago. for what? whether you like him or not, was a truly historic victory that i think will change the world. and he had someone beside him who's incredibly good at business, who ihappen incredibly good at business, who i happen to pop over and see in mar—a—lago earlier this week. yes, from mar—a—lago to

maidstone, that has been my week and i've got to tell you, those reindeer were a lot more frightening than donald trump or elon musk. of that, there is absolutely no doubt at all. so it's been a pretty remarkable year there. my reflections, as i say, i've been very, very busy, very much in the public eye. but there's no doubt, you know, when you think about life and what really matters, i think the birth of two grandsons actually is more important than being in parliament and many other things. and i think perhaps sometimes in the modern world, we're all so rushed in what we're all so rushed in what we're doing, we lose sense of our priorities. now, i'm joined tonight here in maidstone by gb news own bev turner. bev, welcome to the program. and joe phillips, paddy ashdown's former press secretary and a regular on this show. and joe local and a local. absolutely. and i think you'll agree. you know we don't always see eye to eye on global

warming or other issues like that. but you always get a fair say here, don't you? absolutely. >> and we do agree on some things like pr we do, we do. >> gosh, you could knock me down with a feather. joe, what are your reflections on the year? >> well, as you said, nigel, i mean, it has been a momentous year politically. i don't think any of us can forget the rather tragic sight of rishi sunak standing outside downing street looking like a seal, you know, and you sort of think, really? a man who can't even think about getting an umbrella and he's calling an election. why? well, we know why he'd had enough. and of course, the astonishing turnaround of trump in america, you know, he was not looking like he was going to win. and i think if there are winners and losers, one of the biggest losers, one of the biggest losers this year has been joe biden, whose distinguished and long career in politics has been tarnished by the way he hung on and hung on. >> well, it's certainly been a long career. >> well, i think he's had

moments of distinguished moment. >> i must have missed them. i can't think now. >> and personally, personally, the highlight of my year was after the heavy rain at the beginning of the year, which completely drowned my allotment. and i know there are some gardeners here. i decided to make raised beds and it's absolutely fantastic because you don't have to do it carefully. you just go wash back, back and everything grew. >> so there you are, gardeners question time. eat your heart out. we're doing it here on gb news and bev. it has been a great year @gbnews. >> it's been an amazing year @gbnews. i think for me highlights britain's newsroom in the mornings becoming the favourite. britain's new show. anybody here watch britain's newsroom. thank you bev. >> that's interesting because i spoke to you on the first day after you'd done that show and there was a certain acidity

between yourself and andrew pierce. >> oh, you noticed and it wasn't a natural pairing. i think my exact phrase to the boss was, you could have put me with anyone and you put me with him. but, you know, i think we've developed a mutual respect. we both work really hard. he has a knowledge set that i don't have. i know things that he doesn't know. so between us, we rub along quite nicely. we? yeah, we. somebody described us as a couple that have stayed together for the kids, and it's like we've stayed together for the program and for the children. and you have those moments when you do want to kill each other, but you also have moments of great affection. no. >> and it's been a it's been a terrific success. yeah. what are your highlights of the year? >> but i think politically, watching all the key protagonists who instigated lockdowns and all of the nonsense of that year leaving number 10, and that was wonderful for me. but obviously they've been replaced by a shower of shame, who are worse,

it seems. >> i wondered what you were going to say then. i'm a professional. reindeer are one thing, but bev turner alive, i mean. >> so that's really seen the band half undressed. >> yeah, that's that's been really disappointing. but seeing reform mps get into parliament was remarkable. it's wonderful in the audience saying, you know, seeing trump win in america was i literally had tears in my eyes the morning that happened, which if you told me 4 or 5 years ago, i'd have felt like that, i would have said that would never happen. s