GB News stars Bev Turner and Ben Leo have expressed alarm over projections showing the UK will experience the largest population increase of any major European country by the end of the century.
On the People's Channel, Bev said she was "terrified by the idea of such a large population increase" after Ben highlighted the demographic forecasts.
"We're a tiny little country. We cannot afford to have the largest population increase of any European country because we have such a tiny land mass," Bev stated.
She pointed to current pressures on infrastructure, adding: "Coming here this morning on the tube, let me tell you, this city [London] feels like it is bursting at the seams."
GB NEWS
|Bev Turner fears a population explosion could change the country beyond recognition
United Nations data reveals Britain's population is predicted to increase by 6.8 per cent from 69.6 million to 74.3 million by 2100, according to the UN's World Population Prospects 2024.
This represents the fastest growth rate among major EU nations, with only Luxembourg expected to see a larger percentage increase at 10 per cent.
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The UN estimates cumulative net migration to the UK will total 14.3 million by the century's end, nearly double France's projected 7.8 million and almost a quarter more than Germany's figures.
Without positive net migration, Britain's population would fall by over a quarter to below 50 million by 2100, as the total fertility rate in England and Wales has slumped to 1.44 children per woman.
GB NEWS
|Bev Turner and Ben Leo shared their fears on GB News
Bev expressed particular concern about Britain's capacity to accommodate such growth, stating: "I'm guessing that won't be babies. We're not having enough of those. It's presumably immigration, maybe a combination of both."
Her co-presenter Ben Leo questioned the future character of the country, saying: "The largest population increase of any European country, that is frightening. What will it look like? Will it resemble anything like it does today?"
Ben reflected on his own changing perspective on the capital: "I remember being a 10-year-old dreaming of living in London. But now I'm older, I don't want to live in London because I have seen how dramatically it has changed in 20 years."
The presenters' concerns come as immigration fears among Britons have reached their highest level since the Brexit referendum, according to YouGov research.
PA | Latest figures indicate approximately 44,000 people entered the UK illegally in the year to March 2025, with more than 80 per cent arriving via small boat crossingsThe poll found 53 per cent view control of borders as one of the three biggest problems facing the country, surpassing the 48 per cent who cited the economy among their main concerns.
The findings emerge as the government faces criticism over its handling of Channel crossings, with Sir Keir Starmer under fire for a "migrant merry go round" deal with Emmanuel Macron.
A report by Conservative peer Robin Hodgson and Maurice Glasman shows the UK has seen its population increase by 9.2 million this century, which they label "the most rapid increase in our nation's history".