GB News presenter Simon McCoy has urged critics to go easy on the fledgling station, after an ill-fated launch week that has been blighted with technical issues, bad press and Ofcom complaints.

Simon – who left BBC News earlier this year to present his own show at GB News – has urged the station’s detractors to give it six months before they start slating it.

“Hey. Please judge us in six months,” he tweeted on Thursday night. “The audience is there –  and is supportive. We are improving every day. It’s a start-up.”

He added: “Thank you for your patience. If you don’t want to watch… don’t. Sticks and stones.”

In subsequent tweets, he also pointed out that Sky News faced similar issues when it first launched, having been working there at the time:

After several GB News presenters were tricked into reading out names like “Mike Oxlong” and “Mike Hunt”, Simon urged those involved to “grow up” while addressing viewers live on air earlier in the week.

“I’m just going to say something because if you’ve seen the papers, if you’ve seen Twitter, some people think it’s really funny to send in texts and messages on the basis that if we read them out we’ve been had,” he said.

“And you’re still doing it, and I’m watching them, and it doesn’t help anybody.”

Simon continued: “To the person that’s just messaged in… grow up! We’re a new company, we’re a new broadcaster, there are systems that we’re putting in place that would stop idiots like you getting through.

“They’re getting through at the minute but… please? We’ve got other things to worry about.”

Unfortunately for GB News, that didn’t put a stop to the pranks, with one comedian even managing to get a video featuring his bare behind broadcast during a live interview with Laurence Fox.