Alastair Stewart

Alastair James Stewart OBE (born 22 June 1952) is a retired English journalist and newscaster.

Stewart joined Southern Television in 1976, then joined ITN in 1980, where he served three years with Channel 4 News and went on to become a main newsreader with ITV News. He remained in this role for more than 35 years, making him the longest-serving male newsreader on British television, having worked in both local and national news for 44 years. As a presenter for ITV News, he won the Royal Television Society's News Presenter of the Year award in 2004 and 2005.

In January 2020, he stepped down as an ITV News presenter and joined GB News on its introduction in 2021. In March 2023, he announced his retirement as a regular broadcaster.

Early life Stewart was born in Emsworth, Hampshire to a Scottish father from Invergarry and an English mother. His father served as an officer in the Royal Air Force. and worked for the National Union of Students from 1974 to 1976. He was a reporter, industrial correspondent, presenter and documentary maker. He recorded one of the last interviews with Lord Mountbatten before Mountbatten was assassinated by the IRA in 1979, and spent six weeks in Ford Open Prison to make a half-hour documentary. Episodes that had already been recorded for broadcast in 2002 were finally shown in January 2006.

2000s Stewart was a presenter on the now defunct ITV News Channel for the 2003 Iraq War presenting a weekday programme called Live with Alastair Stewart.

He was also a regular presence in ITV's national election coverage, co-anchoring network coverage of the general elections of 2005 (with Jonathan Dimbleby), 1997 (with Dimbleby and Michael Brunson), 1992 (with Jon Snow) and 1987 (with Alastair Burnet). He was the main anchor of Election Night Live: America Decides, ITV's through-the-night programme covering the 2008 US Presidential election.

In February 2007, he became co-presenter of the ITV Lunchtime News, replacing Nicholas Owen. The bulletin was revamped in July 2009, from which point Stewart became one of two main alternate newscasters for the programme. Also in 2007, he hosted a political programme for ITV, Moral of the Story, which aired at various late times on Sunday nights.

In August 2009, it was announced that he would become main co-presenter of the ITV Evening News, relinquishing his role as presenter of London Tonight. This came into effect from 7 September 2009. He was also the main presenter of ITV's general election results programme in 2010.

Stewart is a fan of the band The Rolling Stones, winning Celebrity Mastermind on 29 December 2009 with the band as his specialist subject.

2010s On 15 April 2010, Stewart moderated the first ever United Kingdom political leaders' debates between the prime ministerial candidates in the 2010 general election, featuring the Labour incumbent Gordon Brown, Conservative leader David Cameron and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, debating on live television. Three debates were to take place, produced by ITV, the BBC and Sky. By random lots, ITV drew the first debate, and chose Stewart to act as moderator.

Stewart received honorary doctorates from the University of Plymouth in September 2010, from the University of Winchester in 2011, and from the University of Sunderland in 2012.

On 28 December 2014, Stewart presented a one-off ITV documentary called Unbelievable Moments: Caught on Camera. The programme returned for further episodes in January 2016 and 2017.

In 2015, Stewart made his West End theatrical debut in An Evening with Lucian Freud by Laura-Jane Foley. He played a hapless interviewer appearing on video alongside Cressida Bonas, Russell Grant and Maureen Lipman.

In June 2015, it was announced that, as part of a wider restructure at ITV News, Mark Austin would return to the ITV Evening News full-time, alongside Mary Nightingale from October 2015. Alastair Stewart continued to appear on the programme as a relief newscaster, alongside his duties on the ITV Lunchtime News. Coinciding with the main presenter line-up, the programme was again being referred to as the ITV Evening News.

He presented ITV News coverage of the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum. He also appeared on Celebrity Mastermind for the second time in December 2019, answering questions on Lewis Hamilton. The following day, an ITN source said his departure came after "multiple 'errors of judgment' in his use of social media", not just the Measure for Measure quote. Following Stewart's departure, Shapland said "I understand that Mr Stewart has acknowledged the words he used were misjudged and has expressed regret at what happened. I thank him for that... It is regrettable that he has decided to stand down and I take no pleasure in that."

Later in 2020, Stewart worked as a relief presenter for Talkradio. In early April 2021 it was announced that he would join GB News to host a weekend news and current affairs programme. On 16 July 2021, he announced he would temporarily suspend hosting on GB News following a hip injury and returned on 28 August 2021. He covered for Andrew Neil from 30 August until 3 September.

On 19 March 2023, GB News aired the final edition of Alastair Stewart & Friends. Stewart announced his retirement a few days later. He stated that he would continue to contribute to GB News as an occasional guest and pundit, and provided commentary on the Coronation of King Charles III on Saturday 6 May.

Personal life Stewart has been married to Sally Ann Jung since 1978 and has four children. His son Alex Stewart was formerly a football analyst for Tifo Football, a division of The Athletic. He and his wife live on a farm in Bramdean, Hampshire. His nephew is actor Nick Hendrix.

In 2003 Stewart was banned from driving for 23 months and fined £3,000; he had been arrested, charged and convicted of drink driving after crashing his car into a hedge and telegraph pole whilst three times over the legal alcohol limit in June 2003. He had the original 30-month ban reduced after he agreed to go on a rehabilitation course for disqualified drivers.

In September 2023, Stewart announced during an interview on GB News that he had been diagnosed with early-onset vascular dementia after suffering a "series of strokes" and began to feel "discombobulated" when [undertaking] simple tasks around the house. Stewart had smoked since his teens and had smoked up to 40 cigarettes a day, but said the diagnosis had led to him "stopping smoking, going on longer dog walks and trying to keep his brain active with puzzles."

Charity Stewart is an active supporter of a number of charities, including Kids for Kids which helps villages in Darfur, and Patron of Naomi House & Jacksplace, hospices for children and young adults, near Winchester. He is also an ambassador for Action for Children and a Patron for Brooke – Action for working horses and donkeys.

Stewart has appeared twice on the celebrity editions of game show The Chase. His first appearance was on 19 October 2013. His second appearance was a Text Santa special on 20 December 2013 and featured his fellow ITV News presenters Romilly Weeks, Matt Barbet, and Charlene White.

Awards and honours The Face of London Award at the 2002 Royal Television Society awards. Presenter of the Year Award at the 2004 Royal Television Society awards for his live coverage of the Beslan siege. News presenter of the Year at the 2005 RTS awards for his ITV News Channel programme Live with Alastair Stewart. Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2006 for services to broadcasting and charity. Honorary Doctor of Laws in 2008 by the University of Bristol for services to broadcasting. Stewart received honorary doctorates from the University of Plymouth in September 2010, from the University of Winchester in 2011, and from the University of Sunderland in 2012.

Filmography Television Year Title Role 1980–1982 ITV News Reporter 1983–1986 Channel 4 News Reporter 1986–1992, 2009–2020 ITV Evening News (previously News at 5.45) Presenter 1986–1992, 2003–2020 ITV Weekend News Presenter 1989–1992, 2009–2020 ITV News at Ten Presenter 1993–2009 London Tonight Lead presenter 1994–2009 Police Camera Action! Presenter 1995–2001 Alastair Stewart's Sunday Programme Presenter 2003–2005 ITV News Live with Alastair Stewart Presenter 2005–2020 ITV Lunchtime News Presenter 2007 Moral of the Story Presenter 2008–2009 The Late News Presenter 2004–2008 ITV News at 10:30 Presenter 2008, 2012 Election Night Live: America Decides Presenter 2010 The First Election Debate Presenter 2010 Election 2010 - The Results Presenter2013 Newsflash: Stories That Stopped the World Presenter Margaret Thatcher: The Woman Who Changed Britain Presenter 2014, 2016, 2017 Unbelievable Moments: Caught on Camera Presenter 2021–2023 GB News with Alastair Stewart & Friends Presenter

Guest appearances Countdown (1998–2002, 2008–2010) Celebrity Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (2006) Celebrity Mastermind (2009) Celebrity Antiques Road Trip (2012) The Chase: Celebrity Special (2013) And Here Is the News... (2015) Pointless Celebrities (2016) Tipping Point: Lucky Stars (2017)