Who is Dan Wootton? MailOnline suspends journalist amid investigation

The showbiz journalist has found himself in the headlines but who is he and why is he suddenly in the news?
GB News presenter Dan Wootton has admitted ‘errors of judgement’ but said claims against him are untrue
Gemma Gravett / GB News / PA Media

MailOnline has suspended Dan Wootton while looking into the accusations that, during his tenure as a showbiz journalist and former executive editor of The Sun, he used a pseudonym and offered colleagues money for sexual material. He strenuously denies the allegations.

Since 2021, the 40-year-old has written a twice-weekly column for the MailOnline but, since his ex-partner made the claims public last month, the column has not been released.

A representative for MailOnline's parent company, DMG media, said Wootton will not be working for them in the near future.

Wootton’s former employers at Rupert Murdoch's News UK, where he spent more than 10 years as a celebrity journalist, are also looking into the allegations.

A spokesperson for News UK has said: “We are looking into the allegations made in recent days. We are not able to make any further comment at this stage.”

He is yet to directly address the claims but, last month, Wootton admitted to making “errors of judgement in the past” but claimed that any criminal allegations are “simply untrue” when responding to reports against him.

The journalist told viewers in July on the GB News show that he has been the target of a smear campaign.

He spoke about recognising that he is a polarising figure.

Reports have included claims that he offered media colleagues thousands of pounds for explicit material of themselves and used a fake online persona.

In response, he said: “As a journalist, I feel uncomfortable being the story but I’ve always promised you that this show has no spin and no bias and no censorship so I owe it to you to address this. I, like all fallible human beings, have made errors of judgement in the past but the criminal allegations being made against me are simply untrue.

“I would like nothing more than to address those spurious claims, I could actually spend the next two hours doing so but, on the advice of my lawyers, I cannot comment further.”

Who is Dan Wootton?

New Zealand-born Dan Wootton is a 40-year-old journalist and broadcaster who has made his name through his career reporting on mostly showbiz news at some of Britain’s biggest newspapers and publishing houses.

He moved to the United Kingdom when he was 21 and holds both New Zealand and British citizenship.

He has worked his way up the career ladder and now allegations have been made against him detailed above that he has strenuously denied.

Where has Dan Wootton worked?

He began his career as a journalist in his native New Zealand, starting out writing an entertainment column for the Wellington-based broadsheet newspaper the Dominion Post. He was also a reporter for the daily television show Good Morning before coming over to the UK to start his career here.

Today he has his own TV show and is one of the faces of GB News but, before that, the presenter has had a long career in UK media.

He joined the News of the World TV team in February 2007, becoming TV editor in November 2007 and showbiz editor in November 2008 until the publication’s closure in 2011, and he then went on to be a columnist at the Daily Mail as well as the editor at large for Now magazine.

He has also worked as an adviser on the Lorraine show, and was a showbiz reporter for the Sun before being named as its executive editor. He also worked on talkRADIO as a presenter and now presents Dan Wootton Tonight on GB News.

What stories is Dan Wootton known for?

He has worked mainly on showbiz and celebrity news throughout his career, and is known for interviewing A-listers and breaking exclusives in the world of celebrity.

He was also the journalist who first exclusively reported that Prince Harry and Meghan would be leaving the UK to set up home in the US after growing unhappy in Britain. Dubbed ‘Meg-xit’ in January 2020, a play on the word ‘Brexit’, the story led the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to issue an announcement confirming their plans for stepping back from royal duties.

What has Dan Wootton been accused of?

Reports claim that he offered media colleagues thousands of pounds for explicit material of themselves while hiding behind a fake online persona. The accusations have been reported in the Byline Times.

The Guardian has reported that The Sun and Mail publishers are looking into claims against Mr Wootton.

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