TV’s Alastair Stewart quits in race row
ITV newsreader Alastair Stewart has stood down after 44 years – following a Twitter row in which he used an “angry ape” Shakespeare quote in reply to a black man.
Stewart, 67, last night apologised for the comment, calling it a “misjudgment that I regret”.
Martin Shapland, the social media user who had been arguing with the presenter, said Alastair was “a disgrace”.
The pair had been debating the difference between Crown and taxpayers’ funds three weeks ago when Mr Stewart wrote: “This is you [sic] last chance.
“As a student of history you should know the basis of the financial relationship between the Crown and the tax-payer.”
Another Twitter user chipped in with: “I love it when people are so indignantly informed,” and Alastair quoted Shakespeare’s Measure For Measure to them.
He wrote: “But man, proud man, Dress’d in a little brief authority, Most ignorant of what he’s most assur’d – His glassy essence – like an angry ape, Plays such fantastic tricks before high heaven.”
In a statement, Alastair said: “It was a misjudgment which I regret, but it’s been a privilege to bring the news to households throughout the UK for the past 40 years.”
Commitment
ITN, which makes news programmes for ITV, refused to reveal if its longest-serving male newsreader had been sacked or had left of his own accord.
Chief executive Anna Mallett said: “We’d like to recognise Alastair’s contribution as one of the UK’s foremost journalists and TV presenters and to thank him for his commitment to delivering high-quality broadcast news over many years.”
ITV’s director of news and current affairs, Michael Jermey, said: “Alastair has been a long-standing, familiar figure to viewers of ITV News, both reporting and presenting with distinction. We wish him the very best for the future.”
Last night Alastair’s Twitter account had been deactivated.
Earlier this month he was blasted for using the quote. Mr Shapland tweeted: “Just an ITV newsreader referring to me as an ape with the cover of Shakespeare.
“Measure for measure, Alistair [sic] is a disgrace.”
He also posted screenshots of the Twitter exchange with the presenter to his 282 Instagram followers, captioning them: “Love to be racially abused by ITV newsreaders. I love for it. Obviously.”
He ended the post with an emoji showing someone being sick.
Alastair, who has four children with his wife Sally Anne Jung, first appeared on ITV when he joined Southern Television in 1976. Four years later he was on ITN. In 2006 he was awarded an OBE for services to broadcasting and charity.
Some viewers took to social media yesterday to defend the news star, with Karen Jones writing: “This is disgraceful! @alstewitn is one of the only journalists whose political allegiance is unknown. He is scrupulous about that and calls out other ‘journos’ when they are being particularly partisan.”
Andrea Catherwood wrote: “What a sad end to Alastair’s long and distinguished ITN career.”
Gary Ormond tweeted: “Comes to something when you can’t freely express yourself for fear of being fired.” While Brian Coleman said: “Alastair Stewart is probably the best newsreader on British TV today. He is an all round good egg.”
It is not the first time Stewart has courted controversy.
In 2003, he was banned from driving for 23 months and fined £3,000 after being convicted of drink-driving.
The court heard he crashed his car into a hedge and telegraph pole while three times over the limit.
Last year he hit the headlines for objecting to plans to expand the number of products on sale at a family-run garden store, five miles from his Hampshire home.