GB News confirms Twelfth coverage once again for 2024 with Charlie Lawson and Arlene Foster

Even though he has never been a member of the Orange Order, he says the celebration goes right to the core of who he is.

GB News is planning to host its coverage this year from Carrickfergus.

"it's just part of my life and always has been," Mr Lawson told the News Letter.

"My grandfather on my mother's side was master of McKinley lodge in Enniskillen.

"My father had associations with the lodge too. It is more than a celebration of our culture. I think that's kind of a flippant thing even though I'm sure it is a good answer. I just get a little bored with it.

"It's just been part of my life since I was a child. It's either something that's in your heart or it isn't."

Charlie said he is also looking forward to coming to Northern Ireland for The Spirit of Northern Ireland awards on 12 June.

The Twelfth coverage has been running on the channel for three years, with commentators including former DUP leader Arlene Foster, Mr Lawson and Trinity College Dublin historian Dr Gavin Hughes along with GB presenter Dougie Beattie.

Arlene and Charlie have been confirmed for this year but it is not yet clear if Dr Hughes will take part.

In 2022 the channel did an hour's coverage and last year it broadcast 2.5 hours.

As in previous years, the broadcaster is planning to intersperse coverage of the parades with educational packages about the history behind the event.

A GB News spokesman said: "We want to tell the full story of the Twelfth of July, and the Battle of the Boyne.

"It was a European Battle that happened to be fought on Irish Soil as part of the nine year war."

The intention of the programme will be to educate people in Northern Ireland about the historical context of the battle, and also to bring the colour and music of the occasion to a wider appreciative audience around the UK.

It will be the third year in a row the broadcaster will step in to televise live parades after BBC NI decided to end its live coverage.

For the past two years the corporation has chosen instead to broadcast an hour-long highlights package broadcast later in the evening and available on iPlayer.

In 2022 it emerged that GB News’ coverage of the Twelfth of July celebration was the highest-rated broadcast of the day for the UK-wide channel.

A GB News spokeswoman said the live coverage of the Twelfth was its highest-rating programme on 12 July 2022.

"We peaked between 11.30am and 11.45, when we had 98,300 viewers," she said.

"In the same time slot TalkTV had 7,100 viewers, Sky News 76,500, and BBC News 115,900."

The average viewers across the entire hour also highlighted the interest in the parades.

They were 78,300 for GB News; 4,400 for TalkTV; 59,900 for Sky News, and 124,900 for BBC News."

The Orange Order said it has not finalised arrangements for the day with GB News.