Alastair Stewart’s ITV career came to an end after he quoted Shakespeare’s “angry ape” line in a Twitter spatTelevision bosses seized upon Alastair Stewart’s Twitter comments as an excuse to get rid of an “old, expensive white guy”, the newsreader’s colleagues believe. Stewart’s distinguished 40-year presenting career came to an abrupt halt this week as ITV and ITN announced he was stepping down over errors of judgment in his use of social media. The newsreader quoted a line from Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure about an “angry ape” during an online argument with a black former Liberal Democrat candidate, although ITV management sources insist that several other social media postings contributed to his departure. Prominent broadcasters including Andrew Neil and Adam Boulton have backed Stewart and questioned the circumstances of his departure. One long-time colleague claimed to The Times that Stewart, 67, had fallen

Source: The Times January 31, 2020 17:15 UTC