A GB News host was forced to shut down an 'inflammatory' free speech debate as guests began shouting over each other and were left raging: 'It's nonsense'.

Ben Leo, who hosts The Late Show Live on the channel from midnight, was joined by three guests for a heated discussion about free speech. 

Panellist Connie Shaw was seen being questioned on her views shared on Matthew Wright's LBC radio show following a series of responses to a mass Muslim prayer event in Trafalgar Square ahead of the Islamic festival of Eid.

The GB News contributor clashed with writer and commentators Reem Ibrahim and Fahima Mohamed about criticisms of practices of Islam in public as they weighed in on the ongoing free speech row. 

Connie had been invited to share her views on the LBC radio show, where she was interrupted by host Matthew, 60, after she voiced concerns over 'a minority of Islamists who are very interested in political dominance'. 

It followed on from the backlash aimed at MP Nick Timothy's claims that mass Muslim prayer is an 'act of domination', with campaigners saying it was a breach of his free speech rights to be criticised. 

As the row over his comments deepened, Reform leader Nigel Farage vowed to ban groups of Muslims from praying in public at historic British sites, while senior Jewish MPs weighed in to defend Muslims' right to pray.

Ben invited his show guests to discuss the 'anti-Muslim hostility' as they reacted to a series of news stories relating to the backlash against public prayer, including Connie's interview with Matthew, with the contributor alleging he dubbed her 'racist'.

Connie was also joined by political commentator Fahima as she appeared on the GB News show as the two debated the topic within a wider group - and it wasn't long before they clashed as part of the panel debate. 

Fahima and Connie were soon speaking over one another, with Connie accusing her co-star of 'deflecting' as Fahima raged: 'I'm not deflecting.'

Ben was forced to intervene a first time, reminding the guests to speak 'one at a time', holding his hands up in the air and saying: 'Stop for a second, we need to speak one at a time otherwise people on the radio and TV can't hear.'

'I'm concerned as to what's happening in the country rather than deflecting to the past,' Connie then responded. 'I'm concerned about what is happening right now.'

But Fahima hit back: 'Absolutely not, I don't believe that anyone wants to dominate anyone... if there are extreme fringe groups that do it, no-one denies that is actually a problem, but why put that on everyone else?

'It's like, we can't breathe next, because it's not enough for you guys to see us in the presence and accordance with law, it's like you're just draining everything.

'If you have any kind of extremism, whether its the far right, whether its muslims, fair enough, bring that up, but why bring it up in an occasion like this where it had nothing to do with domination?' 

Ben struggled to take control from Fahima once again, before Connie continued, listing a series of statistics: 'Islamism is the biggest threat to this country we face domestically. 

'I'm sure it's understandable that British people may feel concerned when we see mass displays of Islamic worship up and down the country...'

As Connie and Fahima continued to speak over one another, Ben then invited Reem into the conversation to speak, with the commentator, who grew up muslim, wading in and trying to find balance: 'The truth lies somewhere between these two positions...'

She later continued, stressing the need to recognise the religion as 'very peaceful', adding that it 'depends on how you interpret it': 'You can be a radical Islamist or you can be a practising peaceful muslim.'

As an argument then broke out between Fahima and another contributor, Reem raged: 'If you are someone who is intent on killing people, you do not deserve to be in Britain, and you do not deserve to be called a muslim.'

Connie responded by speaking about how the 'vast majority of terror attacks on Western soil are Islamist', but as she spoke, Reem interjected.

'Everyone accepts that Connie,' she said, before Connie continued on, specifying she was responding to Fahima's comments made earlier.

Connie added: 'Fahima was talking about how it's only muslims that are targeted, it's Islam that is the biggest threat to us. 

'In order to be able to talk about it, it seems we're not going to be able to talk about it without being accused of targeting muslims. 

'Being muslim is to follow the faith of Islam, and we have to accept that although they are a minority of muslims in this country, some of them are very interested in political domination. 

'I would argue that the ones who organised that Iftar event in Trafalgar Square are, because of their connections to Islamists, so we need to accept that.'

Noticing the growing tension as Fahima once again interjected that what Connie was saying was 'nonsense', Ben called off the debate, telling the group: 'Okay, thank you everybody for a seasoned debate.'

Earlier this year, GB News viewers said that they were forced to 'switch off' the breakfast programme on Monday after spotting an 'unprofessional' habit from its hosts. 

TV presenters Eamonn Holmes and Ellie Costello were reunited on the show, after Ellie, 32, returned from her honeymoon in the Maldives following her marriage to Gerard Durkan last July. 

In the middle of the news programme, which was broadcast last month, the schedule was interrupted as viewers begged to see photographs from the sun-soaked destination. 

The broadcasters, joined by resident sports presenter Paul Coyte, pressed paused on the daily newsreel to dim the lights in the studio and look through the images. 

And Paul, 59, had brought in snacks for the occasion - three different flavours of popcorn - for the trio to share out as they flicked through the photos in a 'cinematic screening'.

While the trio crunched away on the snacks, the photos of Ellie and her husband Gerard enjoying the beaches and sunset views were then shown on screen.

Proudly telling the backstory between each of the snaps, Eamonn, 66, and Paul could be heard offering up their own opinions and asking questions on what the couple got up to outside of the photographed moments. 

But viewers at home were left enraged, as they blasted that not only did the chatter see the presenters talking with their mouths full, but rustling the packets over each other and making it hard to hear. 

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, to react to the segment, one penned, according to The Express: 'Watching Ellie’s holiday snaps while hearing Eamon talk with his mouth stuffed full is not what I switched on for. I’m off.'

Another chimed in to agree: 'How unprofessional GB News! Stuffing their gobs. Just come in from work, switching straight off!'

A third wrote: 'Whose brilliant idea was it to have these 3 scoffing crisps whilst talking over some pictures of a honeymoon most of us could not afford. Unbearable!'

While a fourth added: Come on, guys. Is there no NEWS? I'm tired and bored of this and watching them stuffing their faces. This isn't what I pay to watch.'

'Stop bloody rustling the wrappers and eating, noise is so annoying, having to turn off,' a fifth wrote, as a sixth concluded: 'Not a good sound with eating popcorn.' 

Ellie and her husband Gerard headed off on their Maldives honeymoon seven months after they tied the knot last July, at the at Chateau de Robernier, a 16th-century French castle in Provence.

The couple, who have been together for seven years, after first meeting at university, held a civil ceremony earlier this year in Chelsea's Old Town Hall in London.

Ellie said at the time: 'We definitely felt like this was our real wedding. We got married in a church, we exchanged rings, and we literally "tied the knot," which is an ancient Celtic tradition of having the priest tie a knot over your hands to represent your lives being bound together.'

Among the guests was her GB News co-presenter Stephen Dixon, with whom she hosts the breakfast show, which recently won a TRIC award for best news programme, on Thursdays and Fridays.

'It was the wedding of our dreams,' Ellie described the big day. 'The atmosphere was electric and our guests told us they thought they were in a film. 

'It's everything we could have possibly hoped for.'

It comes after GB News viewers vowed to switch off the breakfast programme after being left furious over coverage of Brooklyn Beckham and his family feud.

In an episode that aired in January, hosts Eamonn and Ellie were joined Charlie Rowley and Clare Muldoon to break down the headlines.

Discussion turned to Brooklyn, 26, who took to Instagram with an explosive statement, along with bombshell accusations about his 2022 nuptials in the latest twist in the family's ongoing feud. 

He shared a six-page statement, where he said he has no wishes to reconcile with his family and is standing up for himself 'for the first time in my life'.

Brooklyn and his wife Nicola Peltz, 31, have been at the heart of the acrimonious divide that has resulted in them snubbing all significant family celebrations over recent months, including his father David's milestone 50th birthday.

And in his lengthy post, Brooklyn blasted his 'sham' family dynamic and claimed his parents' love is only decided by 'how much you post on social media'.

Speaking on Breakfast with Eamonn and Ellie, journalist Clare said: 'It's the global brand of brand Beckham, and we see it almost breaking up....'

Not all viewers were impressed by the coverage, and hit out on X, formerly Twitter, about the 'endless' discussions about the Beckham family.

One penned: 'Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn,' as another agreed: 'I can’t stand all this Brooklyn stuff, goodbye.'

A third fumed: 'Who gives a monkey's about this spoiled entitled t**t. The world is on the brink of war, and you’re endlessly talking about him. Are you getting money to promote the Beckham name or something.'

While a fourth queried: 'Still talking about this?'

The Late Show Live airs on GB News weekdays from midnight to 2am.