Thomas Markle cut off his ankle tag while under house arrest
GB News reported that Thomas Markle cut off his ankle tag while under house arrest, with presenters questioning how much of a risk he poses.
How it was covered
- GB News was the only channel found covering it, concentrating on the ankle-tag removal, Markle's limited mobility and Meghan Markle's Brussels appearance.
- Channel 5, BBC News, BBC One, BBC Two, Channel 4, ITV and Sky News: not found in tracked broadcasts.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story. Facts only one channel reported are attributed to it.
GB News reported that Thomas Markle cut off his ankle tag while under house arrest. The channel's late-night programme said he had been fitted with the tag and then removed it.
The presenters questioned how much of a risk Markle poses. They noted that he seemingly cannot walk on his own and joked that authorities might have to tag his chair instead.
GB News described the case as the latest strange turn after earlier coverage of a court appearance and his return home under house arrest. The programme did not give further details of the tag removal or say what happened next.
The broadcast also discussed Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, who GB News said were at the European Parliament in Brussels to speak about child online safety. The presenters criticised Meghan Markle for attending the event without delivering a speech, while accepting that children's online safety is an important issue.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| GB News presenters said that Thomas Markle appeared unable to walk unaided. | |
| Thomas Markle was reportedly under house arrest with an ankle tag, which he cut off. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The late-night programme treated the ankle-tag removal as a bizarre twist, with presenters joking about tagging Markle's chair and questioning how much of a risk he poses. It then widened into a critical discussion of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry at the European Parliament, mixing the Thomas Markle story with commentary on their child online safety appearance.
- “He's cut off his ankle tag. They'll probably have to tag the chair.”
- “I honestly genuinely think this is probably the only way this story could have got weirder.”
- “this cutting off of the ankle tag from a bloke who seemingly can't walk on his own”
Who was on air
People and organisations each channel put on air while covering this story. Channels' own presenters and reporters are not listed. Names as transcribed, and the list can miss people.
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.