Ofcom Investigates TalkTV for Alleged Climate Misinformation

UK broadcasting regulator Ofcom has launched formal investigations into climate change misinformation aired on TalkTV, marking the first such probes since 2017. The regulatory body reversed its earlier position after facing significant public pressure and receiving over 15,000 complaints about the channel’s climate coverage.

The investigations focus on two TalkTV programs that allegedly broadcast climate science denialism. The first program under scrutiny is “Ian Collins” from November 17, 2025, where guest Chris Morrison reportedly “misrepresented facts and cited false evidence” while claiming climate science “doesn’t add up to a row of beans,” according to complaints filed by the Good Law Project.

The second investigation targets “Drivetime with Alex Phillips” from November 27, 2025, during which guest Brendan O’Neill characterized Labour’s energy policies as “suicidal” and “driven by pseudoscience in many cases,” describing adherence to climate science as “a kind of cultish behaviour.”

Ofcom has also announced a third investigation into comments about Labour’s energy and net zero policies made on “Morning Glory with Jeremy Kyle” in December 2025.

This regulatory action represents a significant shift for Ofcom, which had initially declined to investigate complaints about TalkTV’s climate coverage. When advocacy group Stop Funding Hate first raised concerns about the channel’s claims that “CO2 is not a threat to the planet,” Ofcom stated that “after careful assessment, we concluded that the programmes did not raise potentially substantive issues under the Code which warranted investigation.”

The Good Law Project challenged this decision in January 2026, sending a formal letter questioning why Ofcom had rejected the complaints despite thousands of emails demanding action on climate misinformation. The letter highlighted a troubling pattern: according to data from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s Public Attitudes Tracker and an investigation by The Guardian, Ofcom had rejected all 1,221 complaints about climate misinformation filed between 2020 and 2025.

In fact, since 2007, Ofcom had only investigated broadcasts related to climate change on two occasions—once in 2007 and once in 2017. This lengthy gap in regulatory oversight of climate science coverage had raised concerns among environmental advocates about the media’s role in shaping public perception of climate issues.

Ofcom’s reversal came with an unusual admission that it had “exceptionally” decided to withdraw its previous decisions not to investigate TalkTV. After reassessing the content under its Procedures for investigating breaches of content standards, the regulator concluded that both programs “raise potentially substantive issues warranting investigation under the Code.”

The investigations come at a time of heightened debate around climate policy in the UK, with the Labour government advancing ambitious net zero targets that have faced resistance from certain media outlets and political factions. TalkTV, which has positioned itself as an alternative to mainstream media channels, has frequently featured commentators skeptical of climate science consensus.

The Good Law Project, which spearheaded efforts to hold the broadcaster accountable, expressed cautious optimism about the investigations, stating they hope TalkTV would not continue “broadcasting lies to fuel their agenda.” The organization pledged to “watch closely, to make sure that Ofcom doesn’t let TalkTV off the hook again.”

The outcome of these investigations could establish important precedents for how British broadcast media addresses climate science and may influence the broader landscape of climate communication in UK media.