Andrew Neil has described how he came "close to a breakdown" during his time with GB News.

The veteran broadcaster announced his departure from the channel on Twitter earlier this month, where he said it was "time to reduce my commitments on a number of fronts".

Now, the 72-year-old has admitted that continuing with the channel "would have killed me" amid the station's numerous technical problems.

Neil said he suffered stress and sleep deprivation in the early days.

“It just got worse and worse. At one stage, we were waiting to go on air and the whole system went down. It had to be rebooted and we only managed it with 15 seconds to spare," the journalist said in an interview with the Daily Mail.

“That stress was just huge. It meant you couldn’t think about the journalism.

“By the end of that first week, I knew I had to get out. It was really beginning to affect my health. I wasn’t sleeping. I was waking up at two or three in the morning.”

He added the stress gave him a “constant knot in my stomach” and the paper reported two directors suggested Neil take July and August off with a promise the early glitches would be sorted by September.

In a statement from the channel carried by the Mail, a spokesman said: “At no point did Andrew raise concerns of the editorial direction of GB News moving to the right.

READ MORE: Andrew Neil's week, as imagined by Brian Beacom

“As with all companies, decision-making rests with the board, and GB News is no different.

“As a member of the board, Andrew had the same rights and abilities to raise concerns, and he was privy to all decisions.

“The board allowed Andrew time off over the summer to recharge his batteries. He subsequently asked to leave and the board agreed to this request.

“The terms of his departure were properly negotiated and documented, with Andrew taking legal advice throughout.”