SAVE OUR STEWART
Public want news legend back on TV
ITV bosses were under huge pressure last night to reinstate Alastair Stewart as 10,000 people called for him to get his job back.
The veteran newsreader stepped down amid a racism storm after he used the words “angry ape” in a spat with a black Twitter user.
A backlash grew yesterday as colleagues and friends of Britain’s longest-serving newsreader blasted “disgraceful” bosses.
BBC broadcaster Andrew Neil said: “The only explanation can be the ITN suits wanted him out – and seized their chance.”
Last night more than 10,000 people had signed a petition calling for him to be reinstated.
His colleagues have reportedly been supporting it.
Mary Nightingale was close to tears on ITN News as she told viewers her “friend and mentor” would not be appearing again.
ITV reporter Ranvir Singh also defended the star.
She said: “I feel really upset about it. I would never use the word ‘racist’ and his name in the same sentence.”
The presenter, who recently revealed she had suffered “racially charged” comments in the ITV building, added: “I would put my house on it that not for one second did he write that quote thinking that it was in any way a slur on someone’s skin colour.
“He is a gentleman and he has done nothing other than totally encourage me. It saddens me.”
Mr Stewart, 67, had used a quote from Shakespeare play Measure For Measure during an exchange with Martin Shapland on January 13, which contained the term “angry ape”. In a statement announcing he was quitting following the row, Alastair said that he had made a “misjudgment which I regret”.
A telly source last night suggested that there had been “more than one incident”.
ITN said his social media errors “breached” its editorial guidelines, but did not clarify exactly what he had done.
Journalist Kate Maltby, who said she “admired” Alastair for years, claimed the exchange was “much nastier” than reported. She said the “intemperate bullying” seemed “totally out of character”.
But she added: “The lesson I’m taking from this is that we should all de-escalate and step away from the keyboard more.”
Mr Shapland finally broke his silence yesterday and said he took “no pleasure” in seeing the star go.
He has been inundated with abuse, including one tweet warning him to “be looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life”.
The Centre for Countering Digital Hate described the tweets as “absolutely disgusting”.
ITV and ITN were both approached for comment.
THE huge wave of support for Alastair Stewart is very telling.
Colleagues, members of the public and even the bloke he’s accused of abusing say he should be reinstated.
Most people wouldn’t have anything to do with a publicly shamed racist.
Which suggests many people don’t believe what Alastair said was meant in that way.
Let’s be clear here.
Racism and racists have no place in a decent and civilised society.
But the Shakespeare quote Alastair put on Twitter was one he’d used before. And there was no suggestion it had anything to do with race on that occasion.
He is certainly guilty of being careless. If you’re a public figure, social media can go very wrong very quickly.
Famous people would be wise to think how their words could be read before posting.
If he upset someone who thought he was being racist, then of course he should apologise.
But it seems over the top to end his 40-plus year career over this.