Alastair Stewart upstaged by toddler on afternoon news
A discussion on milk allergies went off script during an ITV news broadcast when a little girl started walking round newsreader Alastair Stewart’s desk before climbing on to it.
Stewart was conducting an interview with Lucy Wronka and her two children, Iris and George, when Iris decided she could be still no more. Seeing the toddler ambling about the studio, Stewart remarked: “[She] will do whatever she chooses to do for the next couple of minutes,” before continuing the interview with her brother, George.
George told the newsreader about his experiences while his sister scaled the heights of the news desk during the network’s lunchtime bulletin. She then found her head creeping into shot as her mother, trying to keep a straight face, discussed new guidelines surrounding testing babies for milk allergies.
Finishing the segment, with Iris now on all fours over his papers, he joked: “Mary Nightingale, I think, will have a more peaceful time at 6.30. From all of us, a very good afternoon to you.”
Viewers later expressed their joy at the scene on Twitter. One viewer tweeted
Tears of laughter rolling down my cheeks! Feel ITV 1 +1 coming on!!
— Julia SlingsbyBreach (@SlingsbyBreachJ) August 23, 2017
Paul Brand, ITV News’s political correspondent, tweeted:
TODDLER TAKEOVER! Best lunchtime news ever. Well done @alstewitn for holding fort! pic.twitter.com/w4pAmnVtN7
— Paul Brand (@PaulBrandITV) August 23, 2017
ITV News’s royal editor, Chris Ship, tweeted:
What happens when mum comes into the studio with the kids. Live on @itvnews. Top work by @alstewitn pic.twitter.com/v8q8InVbTT
— Chris Ship (@chrisshipitv) August 23, 2017
The BBC’s Nick Robinson recounted his own studio experience
Nice. One of my kids licked the desk when they came in
— Nick Robinson (@bbcnickrobinson) August 23, 2017
BBC News correspondent Ross Hawkins wrote: “Tremendous chaos - @alstewitn being thoroughly upstaged by kids in his studio.”