me. i have to christmas joining me. i have to say, this is the most ambitious thing i've ever done on gb news. but aren't they beautifully behaved? we're going to have a great show for you. we're going to talk about reflections on the yeah to talk about reflections on the year. we're going to have a look at the amazing sparkling wines that kent is now producing. neil razor ruddock will be joining us for talking pints, and we've got a fab military band at the end. and i have to say with these reindeer, it's so far so good. thank you. >> thank you for coming. thank 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 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. >> take me back. thank you.

thank you everybody. thank garford beck. >> 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, the 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. and 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 ihappened incredibly good at business, who i happened 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. 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, 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 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 distinguish, but i think i must have missed them. >> i can't think that. >> i can't think that. >> 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 it's been a terrific success. >> yeah. >> yeah. >> what are your highlights of the year? >> 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 been really seen the band half undressed. >> yeah, that's that's been

really disappointing. but seeing reform mps get into parliament was remarkable. 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. >> so you were so you were not a trump supporter? >> not at all. like everybody else, when you know trump 1.0, i didn't really understand it. i wasn't really thinking, i wasn't really listening. i was listening to what the mainstream media was saying about him. and obviously everything has changed in the last 4 or 5 years. so now i feel completely differently, and i feel like him and his administration, the people he's putting around him, probably are the best hope that the west has of a peaceful 2025, a healthier 2025, a less corrupt 2025. i'll be there at the inauguration. we're there together that weekend. >> i know you're going to be there. absolutely. what? really? what struck me, joe, this week

at mar—a—lago was, well, number one, it's like the sort of court of henry the eighth. yeah. you know, people queue up to meet him and they were flying in from all over the world. masca cien from softbank, you know, stood up and said to the press, i'm going to put $100 billion into the us economy. i'm going to create 100,000 jobs. and trump got to the microphone and rather than saying thank you, said make it 200 billion. yeah. to which masca son said he's a very good negotiator, this guy. but there was an all pervading mood of optimism. and that wasn't just from big investors or big billionaires, it was from bar staff. it was from taxi drivers. a feeling that the us economy is going great, guns, that their lives are going to get better. and i contrast that with the i mean, the pessimism of this labour government. can you believe it? >> no. and i think the labour government have been a great disappointment even to people who voted labour. you know, many of the problems are of their own

making. some of them aren't. they did inherit a black hole in the economy. we know that. and we know that there were 14 years of lack of investment in lots of things that we all rely on. but, you know, they've made problems of their own through their appalling communications, you know, to suddenly announce the winter fuel payment is going to be cut without any pre—warning and then allow it to run and have four months before the budget from the election to the budget, you know, and the other things that have happened that have been entirely their fault. you know, if somebody is going to give keir starmer a christmas present, it ought to be alastair campbell. >> yes. well, no, i mean, maybe not him, but i but but i was on question time the other week. well he thinks we are the, the but no, i mean you're right, blair had brilliant press operations. but there's one other point, joe, on this. you worked for paddy ashdown. paddy, you know, had distinguished himself in the royal marines in

the sbs. he was a real personality, absolutely. very charming. yeah. the women certainly thought that, you know, i'm not going to comment on that one. but he was very charming. he was a big personality. take the politics out of it. does starmer have leadership qualities? >> i think, well, you and i were talking in the green room earlier about clement attlee, who had absolutely no charisma, you know, was as dull as ditchwater. and you can tell your quote to the audience if they don't know it. but i just think, no. keir starmer is not a natural communicator. no. there doesn't feel any empathy. and there also doesn't seem to be amongst quite a lot of his cabinet, what i would call a natural political instinct. and i think that is something that paddy certainly had. >> yeah. >> yeah. >> by the bucket load i think, look, attlee was post—war. >> there was no television, there was no social media. and yes, he used to get on the northern line, going home to hampstead as prime minister. and

people would say, you look like clement attlee. to which you say, it's funny, a lot of people say, it's funny, a lot of people say that, but we're living in a different age now, bev, aren't we? i mean, it's unavoidable that you've got to have some sort of personality. >> and i think that's what's been so interesting, actually watching trump and particularly talking about the meetings with elon musk. and you've said the same things about how so much of the younger generation are not watching linear tv, they're not watching linear tv, they're not watching the mainstream media. you know, my teenage daughter is here today. my teenage daughter just wants to be with nigel farage. like, how did that happen? you've managed to capture the next generation who are going to be 1819 at the next election. i mean, it's genius. i know she's thinking and down and down, but in terms of communicating with that next generation and even, you know, my mum spends all her life on facebook as well. like there are alternative media that we have to get through. the political messages get through very clearly. >> their life has changed. joe, bev, i'm going to get you back in a few minutes to taste

kentish sparkling wines. not allowed to call them champagne, but they may well be better. >> some of them are. >> some of them are. >> we'll be testing your palate in a moment. we're going to go to a break, and after that we're going to give out some prizes to some local heroes. and we're also going to try and raise some money for a local dog rescue charity. see you in a couple of minutes.

welcome back to maidstone. now, we asked the audience if they wanted to nominate. did they wanted to nominate. did they want to nominate people in the audience who they thought ought to be called out because something special had happened, or they'd done something? and we've picked a couple out of the

hat now. the first one is nancy warren, and nancy. it is your birthday, and that's why you've been chosen. so happy birthday. nancy did not know this was going to happen. so happy birthday . birthday. >> i wanted you for 35 years. i love you very much. >> no more job. you're our only hope. >> this country needs you. and we. >> we're screwed if you don't succeed. >> oh my god, what the hell have you done, jackie? >> oh, well, at least you know it was a genuine surprise. >> oh my god, happy birthday, happy birthday, happy birthday to you. >> happy birthday, dear nancy. >> happy birthday, dear nancy. >> nancy, nancy, there we are.

all right. there we are. that's all i can. >> well, there we are. now that was that was, folks. absolute proof that nothing here is. i'm going to go read. that was absolute proof that nothing here is staged. nothing here is pre—rehearsed. that was very, very real. now we've got a second, a second person that's been picked out. and this is sue hogg, tony hudgell parish councillor in maidstone, keeps the community clean by doing regular litter picks on weekends, replenishes the town's flower pots. fundraises for big community christmas trees every yeah community christmas trees every year. and so this is absolutely amazing. the work that you do for your you are a local hero.

thank you. >> tell me. >> tell me. >> we hear this term parish councillor, just how much is involved. >> we do it for the community. really it's something that i joined because i care for the community that i live in. yeah. >> isn't it, isn't it, isn't it m >> isn't it, isn't it, isn't it a shame that more people don't? >> yeah, it is a shame. but, you know, we get together as a community. that's what our christmas tree is about. good. and we, we decorate it for the community. >> and how many years have you been doing all this? >> oh, quite a few years now. we started litter picks about ten years ago, and we've done the christmas tree about four years in four years in a row. >> well, congratulations. without people like this, there aren't proper communities in our country. well done. you. thank you, thank you. and wait for it.

there we are. >> oh, yeah. okay. >> oh, yeah. okay. >> thank you very much indeed. okay, now let's move. we had a go with reindeers. let's keep this moving and take risk. last year at the christmas special, i highlighted the birmingham dogs home and they said they were struggling through lack of funds. big national charities raise lots of money. sometimes it's very much harder for local charities to raise cash. we did it last year for the birmingham dogs home. their website crashed that night. so many people were going online to help them. so this time we've chosen a local kent charity. they're based in edenbndge kent charity. they're based in edenbridge and swanley. they're called last chance rescue. please welcome up here jenny mansfield and rebecca barker. no, really. yeah, well, i

suppose having the name barker isideal suppose having the name barker is ideal, really, isn't it, for a dog charity. now introduce us, please, to who we've got here. >> so this is daisy. >> so this is daisy. >> this is sam, and this is ruby. >> and tell us about your work, because i understand that some of this is to do with the practice of puppy farming. just explain that a little bit to us. >> yeah. so generally in there are lots of puppy farms in places like wales and over there, which is where we go to a pound up in wales every couple of weeks and bring down whatever dogs are waiting. and we get a lot of x breeding, which have come from puppy puppy farms where they've been kept in barns and things like that. they don't get much of a life, they just get much of a life, they just get bred and bred from. and then when they're when they're no longer useful, they get turfed out, and then they end up in pounds and places like that. and if they're lucky, they come somewhere like last chance. >> yeah. and i guess lockdown was a problem, wasn't it, because so many people thought, let's buy a dog. they used to say, a dog is not just for christmas, but lockdown saw an explosion of all of this. so how big is the problem of just

unwanted dogs. >> so they would normally go out and buy puppies. and when they get to a certain age, they'll end up in rescues because when they're in the home, they won't get socialised or mixed with other dogs. so when they start misbehaving, they'll end up in rescues. >> so we also found after lockdown, obviously people were adopting dogs through lockdown or going out and buying puppies through lockdown. and then when things started to go back to normal, they were going back to work and then obviously they couldn't keep the dogs. so then we had a huge influx after that. >> do you find it easy to rehouse these dogs? >> it depends on on the breed. obviously bigger dogs are more difficult, especially the ones that we had in during lockdown because they're like becca said, they had no socialising, no training, so they were coming to us at the time when they were kind of unruly teenagers really, and quite difficult to rehome. but we get there, they're all the dogs. find a home eventually. >> yeah, well, well done for what you do. and we want to raise money for you. so it'll be up on my screen right now. last chance. animal rescue .co.uk.

last chance animal rescue .co.uk. and listen, well done for what you do. and a dog is man's best friend. and that that link that relationship that people have with dogs. so thank you for everything. and you know, it's a funny thing, but for a lot of people, losing dogs or losing horses is one of the most difficult experiences they ever go through. so just today, spare a thought for my parliamentary colleague and my gb news presenter lee anderson, whose 17 year old dog had to be put down today and, you know, but but it just it just shows you actually the vast majority of people care enormously for their dogs, enormously for their pets of all kind. it's just the irresponsible few. and it leaves these guys having to pick up the pieces. so last chance, thank you very much indeed. give them a round of applause, ladies and gentlemen. >> okay. >> okay. >> we are in a moment. after the

break, we're going to bring back bev and jo. they're going to have a blind tasting of kent produced english sparkling wines, and i'm going to find out which of them has the best palate. back with you in a couple of minutes.

so over the last few years, we have seen in kent and indeed east and west sussex. let's talk kent this evening because that's where we are. we've seen an explosion of wine production. it's got to be said, many of the engush it's got to be said, many of the english sparkling wines are superb. well, who better to talk to than joe phillips? joe, your father was a kent farmer. >> yes, he was indeed. my dad was a sheep farmer down on the romney marsh. and when he

retired, eventually the land was sold and it was bought up by what is now the gusbourne vineyard, which is one of the best award . winning has best award. winning has absolutely changed because there was a time. nigel, i'm sure you're not familiar with wine particularly, but do you remember the days when you'd go and get an english wine, or somebody would give it to you as a christmas present and you'd think, oh, god. and it was up there next to the chutneys and there next to the chutneys and the marmalades, and it was revolting. and you couldn't even cook it. and it's absolutely transformed. and of course, round here is amazing. i can't remember how many vineyards there are in kent, but you know, they are all good. chapel down gusbourne. there's ones at tenterden. >> yeah. and you've got vineyards and you've got distilleries making all sorts of types of gin. you've got lots of little microbreweries producing beeh little microbreweries producing beer, you've got cheese. i mean it's a food revolution going on, isn't there, bev? >> there is, there really is. and i'm very conflicted about global warming because we can grow really great grapes now. every cloud it is, it is a food

revolution. and i love the fact that we've got these small and medium sized british businesses, because that is what this country is built upon. and so if we can drink and buy and eat more british produce, then fabulous. >> well, let's start with number one, shall we? right. have you passit one, shall we? right. have you pass it over to bev for me. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> so this is our first english sparkling. now, unlike you, i know. oh, oh, oh, there we are. oohs and ahs. >> wow. >> wow. >> interesting. >> interesting. >> dry. delicious. >> dry. delicious. >> beautiful bouquet, beautiful bouquet. >> well, that's the end of the programme. >> yeah. bye bye. >> yeah. bye bye. >> we're done. bring the bottle. leave us to it. it tastes almost like a sort of california sort of sauvignon, kind of that fichness of sauvignon, kind of that richness of a of a what is it? >> it's pretty good, isn't it?

well, what we're going to do, we're going to try all three. and i'm going to ask you, which is fairly or unfairly the top rated of the three. so let's move on to number two. >> right. where are we putting number one. >> you emptied your glass, didn't you nigel? >> oh i didn't i don't well it would be rude not to though wouldn't it. >> is that for bev. >> is that for bev. >> that is for bev. >> that is for bev. >> that's. can we do this on britain's newsroom every morning? andrew pierce, if you're watching, this is a fabulous way to start a programme. there we go. >> yeah. i'm not sure 10 am. would quite work. >> oh, i could make it work. >> oh, i could make it work. >> let's have a go at number. right. are you getting jealous out there in the audience? good. >> okay, a little more minerally, perhaps. i'm thinking on the nose. you have to come up with all sorts of words. >> a little bit sharper. probably be very nice. extremely cold on a very hot day. yes, it's slightly warm, which is nobody's complaints to the production. >> it's slightly warm. >> it's slightly warm. >> it's slightly warm. >> i wouldn't say it's warm, but it's just not. >> it's not as cold. >> it's not as cold. >> it's not as cold. >> it's not super chilled. >> it's not super chilled. >> yeah, but it's a little bit more metallic. metallic? i don't mean that in a, in a in a bad

way, but it's a little bit more. yeah i preferred number one if i'm honest. number one felt like sunnier climate. >> okay, fine fine. we'll we'll drag those back from you and. come on beth, this is. >> you can take the girl out of manchester. >> it's christmas everybody. >> it's christmas everybody. >> oh, you want to see her on shot ? shot? >> okay. >> okay. >> number three, here we go. >> number three, here we go. >> less of a hit on the nose. do you think? >> yes, but a much finer taste. >> yes, but a much finer taste. >> it is a little bit more sophisticated. >> i would say this is a finer wine, actually. >> oh. >> oh. >> i no longer care. >> i no longer care. >> you don't care, do you? anyone got a bottle of carried

close. >> so one. >> so one. >> i still prefer number one. >> i still prefer number one. >> okay, i'm torn between number one. let me just have a. >> i think that has less. i'd say it's younger. >> this one. >> this one. >> okay. taste. >> okay. taste. >> okay. taste. >> okay. so you're opting for number 4587 0