ITV News anchor Rageh Omaar 'wasn't terribly well' night before he struggled to ... trends now
ITV is facing fresh scrutiny over its duty of care to news anchor Rageh Omaar after it was suggested he already appeared ill the night before he struggled to speak during a bulletin broadcast.
Viewers were left concerned for the 10 o'clock news presenter as he suffered evident difficulties towards the end of the programme on Friday - and now a channel veteran has said there were warning signs beforehand.
Nicholas Owen, a former ITV News presenter, sent a message of sympathy to Mr Omaar, 56, who has himself thanked the public for their support.
The Mail On Sunday revealed that ITV news bosses did try to get Mr Omaar to hand over his bulletin to a stand-in anchor after he became unwell live on air.
But there are new questions over whether more should have been done to protect him.
ITV News presenter Rageh Omaar was seen struggling to speak on last Friday's News At Ten
Veteran presenter Nicholas Owen, who worked for ITV for decades, has today suggested Mr Omaar had been unwell the previous night
Mr Owen, speaking on GB News today, said: 'Of course I can identify with what happened - I know Rageh very well and he is a very distinguished correspondent and great presenter.
'You just want to finish the job if you sit in that chair where millions of people and more are watching you and listening to you.
'I can remember going in the studio once or twice thinking, "Well, I don't feel particularly 100 per cent today" but usually Dr Studio, if that's the right term, kicks in - Dr Studio takes over and you get through.'
Mr Owen added: 'Apparently he wasn't terribly well the previous night - so perhaps my dear colleagues, and I worked at ITV for many years very, very happily, perhaps they might have stepped in and just insisted he step back?
“I don't really know, maybe they did - it’s just very hard, especially if he's done all of the preparation with all of the scripts. We just wish him well, that's the most important thing.'
Mr Omaar has reportedly insisted that he continued and refused to hand over to a replacement host from the London regional news even though after the show he was taken straight to hospital.
An ITV News source told The Mail on Sunday: 'The programme team were trying to replace him when they realised there was a problem.
'They sent the standby presenter to the set to take over but he insisted on remaining on air. No one could get him out of his chair.
Nicholas Owen (left) told GB News presenter Camilla Tominey (right) that he understood why Rageh Omaar might have wanted to continue presenting
Owen said: 'You just want to finish the job if you sit in that chair where millions of people and more are watching you and listening to you'
ITV News at Ten presenter Rageh Omaar insisted on finishing the show after he contracted an illness while on air, despite bosses' pleas to bring in a stand-in anchor
'He refused to move. Even when he was told he had to go
