ITN news broadcaster Mary Nightingale was close to tears on TV as she explained to viewers her “friend and mentor” Alastair Stewart would not be appearing again.
An hour earlier Mr Stewart, who was Britain’s longest-serving male newsreader, had quit after a black Twitter user said the 67-year-old had called him an “angry ape”.
Shortly before going on air last night, Ms Nightingale, tweeted: “Very sad about the departure of Alastair Stewart. He was a good friend and mentor to me.”
Mr Stewart was rowing with Martin Shapland online when he quoted a passage from Shakespeare’s Measure For Measure that included the phrase “angry ape”.
Mr Shapland shared the tweet and said: “Just an ITV newsreader referring to me as an ape.”
Mr Stewart said: “It was a misjudgement which I regret, but it’s been a privilege to bring the news to households... for the past 40 years.”
Michael Jermey, director of news and current affairs at ITV, said: "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."
ITN chief executive Anna Mallett thanked Mr Stewart for his "commitment to delivering high-quality broadcast news over many years."
During his career, Stewart has covered stories such as the Beslan school siege and the fall of the Berlin Wall and he has been honoured with several awards.
In 2004, he was named presenter of the year at the Royal Television Society Awards and in 2006 he received an OBE for services to broadcasting and charity.
Stewart, who has deleted his Twitter account, had been a staff reporter and presenter on ITV News programmes.
Recently he worked as a part-time freelance presenter, mainly on the lunchtime news and weekend programmes.
