GB News: Ray Addison speaks to Nigel Farage in Clacton
GB News star Ray Addison shocked the nation when it was revealed he'd presented his last ever report on Thursday - and fans are devastated.
Almost 50,000 people accessed the channel's Twitter announcement revealing that he'd quit. The broadcaster, who's been working in journalism for almost a quarter of a century, also has an array of production credits.
The channel's tweet read: "Today, @RayAddisonLive presented his final report on @GBNEWS. Ray has reported on some of the biggest stories spanning both sides of the Atlantic, as well as presenting the bulletins.
"We at GBN Updates will miss Ray very much, and wish him all the best for whatever comes next." He had been part of the channel for just three years at the time of announcing his departure.
He'd previously worked with the likes of Caroline Flack, as he produced for broadcasters including Channel 5, Channel 4, MTV and E! Entertainment. Meanwhile, his GB News slot marked a return to the UK after more than a decade in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
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He'd been tasked with creating a lifestyle format for broadcaster Dubai One, for the country's first ever English language magazine show.
It was a success with nearly 700 episodes airing in 16 countries over the five years he worked on it.
He subsequently hosted the Covid awareness show Stay At Home during the time of the pandemic, helping to provide an element of normality to those trapped in their houses due to lockdowns.
The star, who'd also worked on Emirates News as a business news presenter, had even covered huge stories such as the signing of the historic peace accord between the UAE and Israel.
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It's not clear what Ray's next steps will be, after a busy week covering "Govt plans to scrap winter fuel allowance for 10 mil OAPs, closure of Ted Baker, migration figures (Inc intv’ing Nigel Farage) & Jermaine Jenas’ sacking".
He joked on Twitter that he was "definitely looking forward to the weekend".
Ray, who speculated a few days ago that Rylan Clark could replace Jermaine Jenas as host of The One Show after having seen him strolling into the BBC offices, has been inundated with tributes.
One fan wrote: "Seems odd the channel would let a guy of Ray’s calibre go? His last tube report was fabulous... I’ll miss him."
Another chimed in: "Ray is one of the best newsreaders I’ve ever seen - and being in the studio for Free Speech Nation and seeing Ray in action… incredible!"
A third lamented: "Loyal viewers will really miss yet another great presenter", while a fourth added: "Lost a good'un there."