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ITV presenter Alastair Stewart steps down following "angry ape" Shakespeare tweet

Photo credit: Mike Marsland - Getty Images
Photo credit: Mike Marsland - Getty Images

From Digital Spy

ITV News presenter Alastair Stewart has stepped down from his position following "errors of judgement in [his] use of social media".

ITN has not elaborated on the details of his departure, but the network stated that he had breached editorial guidelines.

In a statement, the long-serving broadcaster said: "It was a misjudgement which I regret. It's been a privilege to bring the news to households throughout the UK for the past 40 years."

While the reason for his exit has not been officially confirmed, it comes a few weeks after he was involved in a social media exchange in which he sent a Shakespeare passage to a black Twitter user that included the phrase "angry ape".

Photo credit: Chris Jackson - Getty Images
Photo credit: Chris Jackson - Getty Images

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Following a disagreement over the funding of the monarchy, Stewart sent the user an excerpt from Measure for Measure, which read: "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..."

The user went on to write: "Just an ITV newsreader referring to me as an ape with the cover of Shakespeare ... Alistair is a disgrace."

Stewart, who has used the same excerpt on Twitter before when he believed someone was ill-informed on a subject, has now deactivated his account.

The broadcaster joined ITV in 1980 and went on to become the lead anchor of News at Ten nine years later.

ITV's director of news and current affairs, Michael Jermey, said in a statement: "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."

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Anna Mallett, ITN's chief executive, added: "We would 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."

In response to Stewart's departure, fellow ITV presenter Julie Etchingham was one of a number of colleagues to pay tribute to the broadcaster, wrote on Twitter: "So sad to learn this - we have worked on many big stories together & Al is a trusted friend and guide to many of us."


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