GB News has hired its first correspondent based in North America as it revealed ambitions to be a “truly competitive player” in the US.

Steven Edginton will be US correspondent based in Washington DC from this week.

He has joined GB News after three years at The Telegraph where his role as video comment editor included hosting a long-form interview podcast, Off Script, which in February featured major GB News investor Mark Stoleson, chief executive of Legatum.

GB News launched GBN America sections on its site and Youtube channel in late 2023 which it said proved quickly popular “both with British expats and Americans” interested in its “unique, disruptive approach”.

GB News moved from its gbnews.uk URL to gbnews.com in March last year to help build its presence outside the UK.

GB News chief digital officer Geoff Marsh described Edginton as a “significant hire” for the brand.

“America has always been our biggest market outside the UK, both with British expatriates but also with Americans who value our British perspective on events there.

“Steven is key to helping us develop GBN America into a truly competitive player in the world’s biggest digital market with his hard-hitting stories across multiple platforms.

“He’s an outstanding and hugely versatile journalist whose agenda-setting exclusive stories, videos and documentaries have had global impact.”

The US hire comes weeks after GB News star presenter and former Brexit Party leader (where Edginton also used to work) Nigel Farage sat down for a 30-minute interview with Donald Trump ahead of his race to become US president for a second time. Farage previously interviewed Trump for the channel in May last year and December 2021.

Who is new GB News US correspondent Steven Edginton?

Edginton became well-known in 2019 for his role in a Mail on Sunday scoop that published leaked diplomatic memos written by the UK ambassador to the US about then-president Trump.

Edginton’s byline was left off the story, which was credited only to Isabel Oakeshott and he explained this was due to the “possible controversy” over his role as a digital strategist for the Brexit Party – although he said the story was not the result of a “Brexiteer plot” but his own “honest journalistic endeavour”.

Before joining The Telegraph Edginton worked at The Sun as a video politics producer. The newspaper poached him from political blog Guido Fawkes after just two weeks.

Edginton said: “I’m thrilled to join GBNA at such an exciting period in US politics. I plan to cover underreported stories impacting millions of Americans. We will go where other broadcasters dare not to, and we will not shy away from controversial issues.”

The broadcaster has said it has “huge plans” overall for digital growth this year. In the UK it is now the 18th biggest news website by monthly audience, reaching nine million people in February.

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