JK Rowling shows support for GB News as she speaks out on puberty blockers protest coverage

Among the content shared by the author was a GB News clip featuring Labour MP Jonathan Hinder. In the footage, he said: “What they need is love, support and compassion. Children cannot consent to this.”

Mr Hinder also urged Health Secretary Wes Streeting to “follow his instincts” and block the trial from going ahead, arguing there was “no democratic consent” for it to proceed.

The segment was later re-posted by Rosie Duffield MP, who praised The People's Channel's reporting, writing: “Well said @jonathan_hinder. And thank you to @GBNEWS as the only mainstream TV news channel who continued to cover this issue.”

Ms Rowling went on to share the post herself, signalling her support for both the message and coverage.

She also amplified several messages critical of the proposed trial, including one stating: “Children cannot consent to puberty blocker trial.”

Another re-posted message warned of what it described as a “terrible irony” if the UK’s first openly gay Health Secretary were to allow a medical trial that critics argue could lead to “sterilisation and lifelong medicalisation” of young people, particularly lesbian, gay and bisexual teens.

A further post shared by the author read: “Don’t mess with children’s healthy bodies. Stop the Puberty Blocker Trial.”

Ms Rowling has long been a vocal critic of medical interventions for children experiencing gender distress, repeatedly calling for greater scrutiny, safeguarding and long-term evidence.

The protest comes amid growing public debate over the PATHWAYS trial, a landmark randomised controlled study commissioned by NHS England following the Cass Review.

The trial, backed by Health Secretary Wes Streeting, is designed to evaluate the physical and psychological effects of puberty blockers on gender-questioning children in England.

Well said @Jonathan_Hinder. And thank you to @GBNEWS as the only mainstream TV News channel who continues to cover this issue. https://t.co/0dg3UEnpTh

— Rosie Duffield MP (@RosieDuffield1) December 17, 2025

It will be led by researchers from King’s College London and the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.

Recruitment is expected to begin in January 2026, with around 226 children under the age of 16 taking part.

Participants will be randomly assigned to either receive puberty blockers immediately for 24 months or after a 12-month delay.

The clinical trial forms part of a wider research project involving an observational study of approximately 3,000 children, examining the effectiveness of non-medical forms of support.

Researchers say the study will closely monitor bone density, brain development, mental well-being, physical growth and potential impacts on long-term fertility over a minimum two-year period.

According to NHS England, the trial includes extensive safeguards, including intensive medical and psychological screening, parental consent, and oversight by independent monitoring and steering committees.

However, campaigners opposing the trial argue that children are too young to consent to experimental medical interventions and warn of the risk of irreversible harm.

As of December 2025, the trial faces legal challenges from activists who believe it should be paused or abandoned entirely, while health authorities maintain it has received all necessary regulatory and ethical approvals.

GB News has continued to cover the issue extensively, featuring voices from across the political spectrum and highlighting concerns raised by clinicians, MPs and parents.

GB News host and ex-Conservative MP Miriam Cates joined protesters in Westminster and called for an end to what she described as a “torturous regime” of puberty blocker trials.

Speaking on the People's Channel, she branded the planned study “child abuse” and urged the Health Secretary to “have courage” and block it from going ahead.

Hitting out at the trial, Miriam told GB News Chief Political Correspondent Katherine Forster: “I don’t think there’s any medical reason for it. We know exactly what puberty blockers do – they stop puberty.

“They were developed for a good reason, to treat children who go into puberty too early and delay it until a proper time.”

She added: “We know they work from a medical point of view, so we know exactly what’s going to happen to these children. Puberty will be stopped. They won’t develop reproductive organs or their brains in the same way that children normally do. It’s not in question, we don’t need to test these drugs.”

Ms Rowling’s decision to amplify GB News’ coverage has been welcomed by supporters who say the issue has been underreported elsewhere, while critics argue the trial is being misrepresented.

Preliminary results from the PATHWAYS study are not expected until around 2030, ensuring the issue will remain a focal point of political and public debate for years to come.