Monday afternoon/evening, Byline Investigates dropped their first piece in a three-part exposé on Dan Wootton. Wootton has spent the past decade slithering up the British media ladder, working for News of the World, the Sun, the Daily Mail and GB News. His current employers are the Mail, where he writes a weekly column, and GB News, where he’s a nightly TV presenter. Byline has apparently been investigating rumors and reports about Wootton’s behavior for a while now, and Byline has extensive sourcing on Wootton’s alleged behavior as a blackmailer, catfisher and someone who used the pseudonym Martin Branning to solicit nude photos of his colleagues. Like, even if we’re simply going with Byline’s straight reporting, the story is incredibly bonkers. It’s even darker and more twisted when you take into account Alex Truby’s (Wootton’s ex-boyfriend) story.
So, Byline Investigates dropped their story on Monday. Throughout the day Tuesday, people waited to see which outlets would pick it up and whether Wootton’s employers would do anything. Finally, the Guardian reported that the Sun and MailOnline are “looking into the allegations.” The Sun’s statement was: “We are looking into the allegations made in recent days. We are not able to make any further comment at this stage.” MailOnline’s spokesperson said: “We are aware of the allegations and are looking into them.” The Guardian also notes that they’ve been investigating Wootton for three years and they’ve spoken to “multiple individuals working in the media who say they have been approached online by a person using the name Martin Branning.”
Soon after the Guardian reported all of that, Dan Wootton came on air on GB News and he devoted his opening segment to the unfolding catastrophe of his life and evil deeds. Wootton is the worst kind of sleazy pig: he thinks he’s being so clever, he thinks his white male privilege will make his sanctimonious lies believable, and he thinks that he’s a great liar. He’s not.
@itvnews break the #DanWootton scandal #Gbnews #DanWootonExposed #Legatum #MartinBranning pic.twitter.com/J6KnCJ9pIs
— ToryLieNumber98967543287600 🏴 (@Nikhedonia11) July 18, 2023
Photos courtesy of GB News.
Karma is going to get him
Every time I see his smug face I start singing “Rollin rollin rollin the Karma Bus is rolling along …
So he’s using the Trump playbook: it’s all a deep state conspiracy to bring him down. The problem is it sounds like he catfished too many people.
Yeah, I notice he didn’t mention his colleagues at tabloids just his ex-boyfriend. It was also rather ballsy of him to talk about toxic social media and pile-ons when he was one of the biggest perpetrators of hate against Meghan.
Someone on Twitter said “what if he catfished William?” and now I can’t stop thinking about the possibility.
That’s hilarious. Dan Wootton hankering for the purple pimpernel.
Either William or someone close to William for sure. Wouldn’t be surprised if he catfished Jason Knauf and this resulted in all the abuse towards the Sussexes to deflect. It’s pretty scary seeing how much power his crimes granted him over powerful people. Imagine how this impacted on less powerful people. So sick. I hope he gets his comeuppance. At the very least, his columns are absolutely racist misogynistic screeds.
DW obviously has ensnared someone with the BRF to have be given free rein over the entire houses, with physical proof, not gained by legal measures.
As for Wooten having catfished Knauf the Knife, I would have enjoyed being the fly on the wall IF that went down.
I think its clear he has something on William (maybe another royal, but most likely William.) I always just assumed it was that he (wootton) knew of the Rose affair, maybe has proof (pictures?) and used that to get scoops from William (i.e. Sussexit.)
but now I’m wondering if its something more?
It must be something so powerful, that DW himself, is thanking his lucky stars of criminality to be certain. All I keep seeing in my head is Gollum and his “precious ring”…….😵💫
If everyone else is coming out of the woodwork, then the RF connections would be Dan’s only playing cards left. That sort of thing is high government level, Prime Minister, Home Office, government crisis kind of thing. Dan might think he has power, but not against the monarchy and the succession. I see him being forced to cop to “lesser” charges and then sent away to some kind of oblivion. And the RF won’t be saying a word.
DW had a story in March 2019 about Kate and rose having a falling out and got close to implying it was because of an affair. He was one of the first ones with that story and then not long after, he started getting scoops about H and M, including the news that they were leaving. There was definitely someone inside the palace giving him information. I suspect it was Knauf because they were uni classmates and not William directly.
The fact that Piers Morgan has a job demonstrates the value of royal connections.
@ Eurydice, that reminds me of Cersei Lannister when she shows Bailish what real power is when he tries to tell her he knows about she and Jamie’s incest, by turning her guards on him. “POWER, is power.”
@Nic919 You are 100% correct about the shift to H&M bashing increasing after that 2019 article. The link to the Sun article Dan wrote is dead. The article has been removed. I’m sure KP was feeding these stories to Dan in exchange for dropping the Rose story.
I’m wondering if he has proof of an affair between Rose Husband and Bulliam.
I think proof of an affair with a woman wouldn’t be scandalous enough to be a real threat, heterosexual affairs are expected of a FFK.
A homosexual affair would be a completly different kind of scandal and could threaten the crown.
I wonder if linking Rose to Bulliam was a warning shot.
Lololol watch the amazing munecat’s video on the mess that is GBeeBies news and you’ll realise how much of an absolute JOKE this “statement” is
This one?
Why the UK’s “Fox News” didn’t work
https://youtu.be/auNQIUsaxlQ
I’m sorry but GBeeBies is one of the funniest things I’ve seen in a while. Love it.
Brava 👏👏👏👏👏 @ Layla!!!
The UK tabloids usually drive these stories, and the BBC, Guardian etc then report because everyone is talking about it. Since the tabloids have no desire to push this narrative, I don’t know if I see this going anywhere.
These allegations are very serious. I hope the truth comes out and justice is served.
Just the fact that D. Wootton hasn’t been suspended pending the ongoing investigations, AND he still retains his show and the means to air his side (as he sees it) on TV says a lot about the standards in UK media. You don’t have to fire him until the outcome but are they aware that as long as they continue to employ him so visibly then he and his crimes represent their network and newspaper. It definitely looks like they’re condoning his actions. I guess that doesn’t really matter to them.
It’s wild not having a Mail Online editorial piece by Dan Wooton on this.
What would the deranged headline have been, I wonder?
DAN WOOTTON: IT’S TIME TO COME CLEAN, DAN WOOTTON- AS BRITAIN’S TOP GUTTER JOURNALIST, YOU OWE IT TO THE NATION TO BE PUBLICLY DESTROYED
I love your headline, WincesOfSales!
As do I!!
😂 👍🏼
This man looks really scary and super intense here and hardly blinks. He is horrible to others and hounding celebs like Lily Allen and Caroline Flack going back years and now he has the audacity to complain about SM pile ons when he has led the charge on so many others. I can’t believe this man’s gall crying victim when he has victimised others. His activities appear to have been an open secret as both Popbitch and Private Eye published blind items about him because of the hypocrisy of him banging on about Philip Schofield’s exploitation of a younger co worker! Talk about people in glass houses NOT throwing stones!
He’s a psychopath.
Truly deranged. It boggles the mind William was stupid enough to play ball with him.
Loose canon powered by hubris. What a nutter he is to go in front of a camera and sputter out insanity while physically turning redder by the second. Burger King and Kate have to be shaking in their boots knowing how many of their skeletons Danny Boy is privy too. I love this for them. Meanwhile, in sunny Montecito, Harry is probably sitting by the pool refreshing Twitter all day so he doesn’t miss a minute of Wooty Tooty finally going down.
Janey Godley, a Scottish comedian, spent yesterday posting pics on Twitter of Meghan and Harry laughing following the stories about Dan Wootton. I’m sure she nailed the reaction in montecito of karma finally doing its work.
Jane Godley is such a treasure.
Frankly, I am bewildered there has not been any statement from GB News on this story and that they have allowed Dan Wootton to continue his show. I would have expected Dan to be suspended or placed on leave pending an investigation. Most surprising is that advertisers have not distanced themselves from the network or at minimum from Dan’s show and pulled their advertisements pending investigation.
As am I!!! Why has GBNews NOT issued a statement and made a declaration of investigating DW themselves???? And WHY on earth is he still able to broadcast????
What the actual F are they doing????? Protecting their lamb from the slaughter????
It’s a protection racket. That’s what the Sussexes were dealing with and had to get far away from the smut. They’re still trying to shake the rats as they’re being stalked by paparazzi for photos to attach to fake tabloid stories.
At least now the Sussexes don’t have to live in an institution where their family and courtiers are briefing the tabloids against them. The Sussexes refused to participate or be complicit in the tabloid smears. Glad they escaped that messy, toxic institution and smutty tabloid ecosystem in Britain.
I had personally expected the UK media to be all right ver this story given the Huw Edwards coverage a week ago… I am glad that The Guardian finally published something on DW in their UK Media section. At the very end of this article, they ask the public this: “ If you wish to contact the author of this article with further information, please email jim.waterson@theguardian.com or contact the Guardian securely.”
If anyone has anything on DW, please, please get in touch with Byline or the Guardian. He’s a destroyer of lives. That “No spin. No bias. No censorship” under his ugly face in the above picture is a total misrepresentation of this creep.
How wonderful of the Guardian to come front and center to help bring in more bodies that have been left in the wake of DW!!! I love, love, love The Guardian!!!
Both the Guardian and Byline mention that they have been investigating this story for years.
I think we also need to give Byline Times a lot more credit for leading with the breaking story. They are a much smaller shop and the legal implications as well as the cost of investigating and soliciting legal representation for review would likely have been a huge investment for such a small company. Glad the Guardian picked it up though. Considering they were investigating for 3 years, l am thinking they likely hesitated on breaking the story fearing the other big media outlets would have retaliated. The media industry industry in Britain operates like a huge protection racket.
What a scumbag. KP deciding to work with him shows how scared they really were.
BP with piers Morgan and Jeremy Clarkson. KP with Dan Wootton. Notice a pattern here? Mouthpieces are going down and will be taking their Palace associates with them. Watch this space for the Middleton’s mouthpieces’ downfalls too. What a shame.
He is so disgusting and wretched he makes my skin crawl.
I think despite attempts to bury this, it is picking up steam and gaining momentum. Wootton talking about it actually just adds fuel to the fire. I’m also seeing a lot of SM comments about how much dirt Wootton must have on X person or Y person which is why that organization isn’t talking about this, so even by not talking about it, its bringing it into the open, you know?
I think the guardian story supporting the Byline one is what opened this up. Especially since Jim Waterson is known as an investigative reporter and he said he’s been working on this story for years.
DW doing that little video will end up used against him in court. He thinks he did something, but he didn’t.
and by doing that video, he just opened this up even more because now media outlets are covering that, and even if they dont mention Byline in that, people will think what is going on here? and social media will tell them.
Would love to see him charged and disgraced and fired.
YES!!! And what was the infamous line that the Murdoch lawyers stated when the were discussing the hacking allegations, not verbatim mind you,
“Though we DID deny that we hacked your personal data by your use of phones AND email, that doesn’t mean that WE were telling the TRUTH!!”
Unless you provide PROOF of these so-called messages by your ex-boyfriend, we DON’T believe YOU!!
Otherwise, suck on it!!! Brought to you by every person that YOU lied, deceived and destroyed with great pleasure of those that have committed suicide from YOUR actions as well as all of Britshidmedia!!!
“stated that they”, not the, sorry.
The stories mention that friends of Rebekah Brooks and other News UK execs were targeted by DW. I cannot see Murdoch or Brooks being ok with this type of behaviour. It’s one thing to go after the “woke” but DW has gone after their own. That can’t sit well.
The snake is eating its rotten tail and that’s going to create a ton of ill will towards DW within his own filthy tabloid cesspool. This is internecine war and I’m loving it.
KuKluxDan Rotten’s denial reminds me of Paedrew’s statement in the interview Emily Maitlis did with him for the BBC.
This will *really* age well, especially once it comes out how the RF/KP are entangled in this whole sordid mess.
What won’t age well?
The big deranger accounts simping for DW while trying to distract with outright lies about H&M, or highlighting Keen’s and Incandescent’s “achievements”, “projects”, “initiatives”, “intelligence”, “beauty”, “whoesome family”, “marriage”.
I didn’t watch his whole tirade, but I read about it. At one point, he said, “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.” So… any investigative journalist want to take him up on the offer?
I got as far as the part where he says he wants to be a political reporter and not deal with personal attacks, that we should all believe that he’s changed and not go back to the past. Then my stomach started feeling queasy.
@Eurydice, ewwwww. So he has two motives driving him: 1) pretending to be a real journalist, and 2) getting his sexual kicks. He’s trying to achieve both through blackmail.
Yes he is a piece of sh*t. The royal cult will do their best to help him because he has all the dirt on Peg. We will see more Harry and Meg marriage trouble lies to distract.
Any DECENT news channel would have taken him of air (a bit like the BBC did with Hew Edwards) and said he is being taken off air whilst the accusations are being investigated, but we are talking about GB news here and just look at the quality of their (ahem) presenters. Wooton is so low he could limbo dance under a snake (a bit like bullyam and Morgan), and that goes for anyone who employs him as well. I would also add, oh Jason are you sweating yet!? 🙄
Lol, there’s an old country/western saying – “lower than a snake’s belly in a wagon rut.”
LOL @Mary Pester and Euridice — my Australian friend says “Lower than an ant’s asshole”.
Love that jaded, it fits him perfectly
So when Dan Wootton claims there are “dark forces” trying to take down the GB channel, is he talking about the skin color of people trying to take it down? Just askin’ for a friend.
I think the way this story is being covered by the British media is an indictment on British journalism. I used to view British media as highly ethical prior to following the cases brought to trial by Prince Harry and the other claimants against MGN. Having followed the disclosures from witnesses in the courts, I’ve come to accept that there is a lack of journalistic ethics in British media, years of unethical and unlawful conduct. The landscape resembles what developed countries would for decades call banana republics, countries where lawlessness permeates society, government and media. Prince Harry’s statement in court about the media in the Britain was spot on – “Our country is judged globally by the state of our press and our government, both of which I believe are at rock bottom.”
Whining about how he is being smeared! How the turn tables….
Exactly like trump – the worst of the bullies, no lie is too vile to say, and then they turn into the biggest babies and martyrs.
Bet he catfished Rose’s husband…
No mention of police investigating? I know the Guardian turned over all evidence, so why haven’t there been charges?
Legal procedures take a long time, they can’t drop charges without investigation, corroboration and making sure all information is accurate.
I wonder if and how many people from the royal institution have catfished and blackmail by Dan Wooton? Will they/have they come forward with evidence? 🧐
Was this what Prince Harry was talking about in Spare when he said he made a visit to Scotland Yard after finding out someone connected to the institution was paid money for inside information? 🧐
No wonder Murdoch and Rothermere have been hesitant to run the story or comment on Dan. I’m looking forward to more on this from Byline Times. 🧘♀️
Now, I’m wondering about that substantial payout William got from the tabloids – do we know that it was for same things as in Harry’s law suit, or could it be Wootton related?
We don’t know, but it was a payout from Murdoch and the Sun right? Which Whooton used to work for before going to the DM. Everything is so covered in dirt it could be related or just lots of dirty things in one place.
Do you know who else used sleazy blackmail & had royal connections? Jeffrey Epstein.
Excellent connection @ MsLove!! You are certainly a gold miner as you always seem to see through the clouds to spot and highlight very informative and useful details that are skipped over!! And I thank you for that!!!
Exactly. Epstein’s blackmail worked for a while, until it didn’t.
Wasn’t there a comment regarding dirt on William that it would make your eyes bleed? Maybe there are compromising photos out there
And the irony of this statement “We are not able to make any further comment at this stage” when Meghan only has to show her face to illicit all kinds of coverage
He has the dead, cold eyes of a psychopath. I don’t think anything about him could surprise me.
My thoughts, exactly.
He’s a monster.
Based on what you’re all saying, and the terrible allegations against him, I can’t help wondering where he will be promoted to when this incident is all over. I mean, judging by his dreadful past history and involvement in other scandals. A boy has to think about his future.
There’s definitely something creepy about him.
That lame statement was born out of fear was under the advice of his and GB lawyers because Bylines turned over its research to the Met Police. Bylines is also going to serialize its findings. If Dan Rotten is charge with a crime or crimes he officially becomes a liability that needs to be dealt with.
I don’t think lawyers told him to give that monologue because it will be a tool for cross examination for either criminal charges or a civil lawsuit.
GB News seems like a shoddy organization and they should have pulled him off the air like the BBC did. Even Fox deals with this better.
I think the reason you would have seen a cleaner response from (ugh!) even FoxNews is because here people would have made their displeasure known and would have gotten in touch with FoxNews to protest about his continued presence on-air. Then, other networks would have reported on the allegations themselves and Dan Wootton’s involvement, while naming his employers, so they would all have been shamed. Things seem to work differently in England; hence, they get the sort of media they have now where anything goes. God bless ’em.
It seems like the British Media (not just the tabloids), the Tories, the Royal Institution and the Met Police are all involved in some kind of criminal cover-up, so who is left to pick up the ball to do a serious investigation that doesn’t involve further cover-up? I’ve been reading By-line Investigates and they are doing great work, but you need institutional heft to start shedding light, bringing to justice and cleaning up. We’re literally talking about all the significant institutions of a whole country. Social media is playing a part her both in exposing and covering up.
Tamsin – you’ve highlighted good points in your observation of the British press 👍
Here’s hoping Danny the rotten gets everything bad hopefully coming his way. I have zero sympathy for this scum bucket
I’ve been following this story, but I remain confused. Can someone explain it to me like I’m a child? I see allegations of sexual assault, and harassment, and that he “offered money to individuals in return for filming themselves carrying out sex acts.” I can’t find details about the first two allegations and the ‘offered money for sex acts’ is confusing because why wouldn’t someone just say no? Sorry if I’m not seeing the whole picture.
Sorry, this is not anything that can be explained to a child. No child should be exposed to this sort of content. 🤨
Clearly, it’s not meant to be. I am not a child and don’t expect anyone to explain it to an actual child. Come on.
@blarg the other accusations are out there on Twitter. Some of them appear to be from a former boyfriend.
Thank you for this info. I am not on twitter and I don’t think I can see tweets anymore. But I’ll do some more searching.
Blag, following is a link to the BylineTimes article which everything is predicated on.
https://bylinetimes.com/2023/07/17/gb-news-star-dan-wootton-unmasked-in-cash-for-sexual-images-catfishing-scandal/
DW laments – and I quote – “…it is impossible to defend yourself against thousands of trolls.”
No sh*t Dan, you trifling, disgusting, cowardly predator. Now you know how you’ve made Meghan feel.
Karma is a grown and sexy bitch! 🍿🍿🍿
Well said BEVERLEY. There must be some small voice deep within, even, him that recognises the sick irony of that remark.
“…for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.”
Amen🙏🏾
UK media is handling the Wooton story with kid gloves because the accusations are far-reaching, and victims are slowly coming forward. Also, many are sweating because they’re unsure what Dan has on them. Dan has been catfishing for a long time. Tabloid journalists in the UK use burner accounts to snoop and acquire information. Dan used catfishing to engage in sexually predatory behaviors to gain control over people. I believe it’s called emotional blackmail.
When he released the video saying the calls were coming from inside Kensington Palace, I believe he did that to send a message to William and maybe Jason. Dan has the low down on William, which started the selling of Harry and Meghan. It’s bigger than an affair with Rose. The story about William couldn’t eat before the Oprah interview is because Harry and Meghan also have something to tell about Dirty William. Harry is more loyal to his brother and father than they’ve ever been to him, so the King and heir’s journey will always be littered with trials and tribulations.
Throwing Harry and Meghan under the bus won’t make this go away. People who have read Spare and watched the docuseries are no longer taking the clickbait headlines.
Where is Queen Camilla? Princess Anne denies climate change even though the King and heir are big proponents. What happened to William and Charles’s get-out or pay-rent story? Distractions overload. The Dan Wooton story may be the straw to break the tabloid media’s back. Fingers crossed.
They won’t look into the accusations because it incriminates them if anything he found through illegal means was used by them. It is so disgusting what he is being accused of and any boss or police who don’t take these accusations seriously are part of the problem with the corrupt media in the UK.
Ugh, couldn’t happen to a better guy.
In the eyes of God, this a$$hole won’t be able to get away with anything. Even his allies in the BRF wont always be able to bail him out . Haven’t these people learned that ANYTHING that you do bad will catch up with you later – what comes around will eventually go around.