T’is the season to be having a good long think “about what Christmas is all about” if you’re concerned about the impact of shortages on this year’s festive period, GB News presenter Isabel Oakeshott has said.
Speaking during her first show on the controversial news channel on Friday, the Brexiteer journalist touched upon concerns raised over supply chains and food shortages, citing a comment by retail analyst Clive Black that Christmas would be a “nightmare” for consumers.
“So this prediction of a nightmare Christmas… really?
“First of all, I do think if your Christmas joy depends on getting a particular type of turkey for lunch, or the latest must-have toy for little Johnny, I would suggest you need to take a long hard look and really have a think about what Christmas is all about.
“Really, there’s not going to be no food in the shops and no toys, and surely a great Christmas isn’t just about whether you can buy a particular brand of this or that, but about family and friends getting together,” Oakeshott said.
The remarks have gone on to spark a strong Twitter debate on the true meaning of Christmas, something we feel is a little bit premature – the same word some of us would use to describe our exit from the European Union in 2016…
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— Brn Candlish (@crowfather1) October 8, 2021
“The Traditional Farm-Fresh Turkey Association, whatever that is”
— LfB (@LiveFromBrexit) October 8, 2021
Award-winning incisive journalism right there. pic.twitter.com/4OlWE3gqvX
Why should we have things now we have Brexit?
— Sarah Hurst (@Life_Disrupted) October 8, 2021
It’s high time we went back to a traditional Christmas stocking with a lump of coal, a tangerine and a doll carved out of wood. We don’t need anything else.
— Andrew Brook 🏳️🌈 🇪🇺 🎹 🎤 FBPE 🏳️⚧️✊🏿 (@AndrewBrookLdn) October 8, 2021
Wondered how long it would be before 'it's all your fault because you want stuff'
— Steve Widman (@StephenWidman) October 8, 2021
Fish finger butties. With a dollop of cranberry sauce. Sorted.
— Ken Goodwin (@KenGoodwinITV) October 9, 2021
Isabel Oakeshott’s Christmas recommendations pic.twitter.com/fn4OpyMCVo
— Iain Macintosh (@IainMacAndDog) October 9, 2021
I bet Isabel Oakeshott won't be having a tin of spam for Christmas Dinner.
— Simon Bye 🎪🔶 (@UB5simon) October 8, 2021
Isabel Oakeshott lecturing us on ‘what Christmas is all about’ is up there with Boris Johnson telling us we are all in this recession together 🙄
— Nita W #FBPE 🇬🇧🇪🇺 (@WestNitaFBPE) October 8, 2021
don't forget to hang your stocking up on Christmas Eve for Isabel Oakeshott to shite in pic.twitter.com/axubayktRb
— Gpoptosis (@Gpoptosis) October 8, 2021
This is like if a computer bot was asked to write a GB News segment.
— Sooz "Halloween" Kempner (@SoozUK) October 8, 2021
2016: Brexit will improve your lives
— James Felton (@JimMFelton) October 8, 2021
2018: Project fear
2021: The following food shortages are actually good- pic.twitter.com/6wlMY0CrL8
I think we’re a few weeks away from one of these guys suggesting that everyone fasts from sunrise to sunset for Christmas pic.twitter.com/RRK2hh6wk5
— HK (@HKesvani) October 8, 2021
There you go. You absolutely love to see it. pic.twitter.com/jOA8z3dyQ4
— Tom Peck (@tompeck) October 8, 2021
2020: If we go into lockdown this will cancel Christmas. This cannot happen.
— James McManus (@JamesMcManus1) October 8, 2021
2021: So what if Christmas is cancelled? Look at the snowflakes wanting turkeys and presents after the worst year of their lives. I am very smart. pic.twitter.com/j3MmMfk0rV
Others criticised her “terrible” use of the autocue:
Really terrible using autocue. Amateurish.
— Johnson is a Racist and a Liar 💙🇪🇺🏳️🌈 (@stannexe) October 8, 2021
Reading an autocue really should not be that arduous
— Sam (@sammwittings) October 8, 2021
She’s such a natural on the auto-cue 🙄
— Susanita : I sacked Matt Hancock 💙🇪🇺🇪🇸 (@Spanglish51) October 8, 2021
That bus also made a surprise appearance in the replies:
Was that on the other bus? pic.twitter.com/0NKPfWlt4s
— NewsThump (@newsthump) October 8, 2021
To be fair, they did warn us :- pic.twitter.com/tRlcDkyHng
— ...andTheVoidStaredBack (@andTheVoidStar1) October 8, 2021
I don't recall seeing "Brexit is about having a shit Christmas" on the side of a bus.
— Steve Brookstein (@stevebrookstein) October 9, 2021
Despite the initial backlash to her comments under the GB News video, Oakeshott went on to quote tweet the video herself later that day.
“I am right about this, obviously,” she wrote.
