GB News presenter Andrew Neil has announced he’s taking a break from the channel, two weeks after its launch.

The controversial news broadcaster’s chairman told viewers during his show on Thursday night that he would be absent from his nightly slot for the next “few weeks”.

Andrew – who is now mostly based in France – added that he would be “back before the summer is out and when you least expect”.

GB News launched earlier this month, getting off to a seriously chaotic start, with its first week on air being blighted by technical mishaps, Ofcom complaints and major brands pulling their advertising.

The show also made headlines on a number of occasions when presenters were pranked live on air, leading Simon McCoy to tell those responsible to “grow up” live on air.

Addressing the station’s shaky beginnings on Thursday, the 72-year-old added: “Before I take this break, let me say this. Yes, we had a bit of a rocky start with the launch of GB News. We’re a start-up, they’re always a bit rocky these start-ups.

“But we are up and running as you can see, we get better every day and there’s clearly an appetite for what we’re doing.”

He added: “In two short weeks, we’ve already built a loyal audience which has beaten all of our expectations. It’s often bigger than the other news channels and it’s growing.

“That’s the real story about GB News to date and you won’t often read that in the papers. So on behalf of GB News, I say to all of our viewers, thank you. We won’t let you down and you ain’t seen nothing yet.”

In Andrew Neil’s absence, his nightly show will be covered by former Sky News star Colin Brazier.

Other presenters on the station include former showbiz journalist Dan Wootton, Apprentice winner Michelle Dewberry and ex Sky Sports host Kirsty Gallacher.