ITV News at Ten presenter Rageh Omaar is 'up and about at home' after becoming ... trends now
Close friends of Rageh Omaar say he is 'up and about at home and doing OK' after suffering a suspected mini-stroke during the ITV News at Ten on Friday.
The veteran journalist was seen slurring his words as he introduced the last news item on the News at 10 bulletin, and his left eye appeared to start drooping, causing many to fear he was unwell.
Viewers were reportedly so terrified that a stroke nurse rang ITV to say he needed immediate medical help, which he received following the incident.
But questions inside ITV have been raised over how he was allowed to go on air in the first place. One insider told the Times: 'There are big questions about why he was allowed to go on air. Perhaps they thought, 'He is a pro and the adrenaline will kick in when he gets on air.'
'Even if you think that he was just having an off day, you don't need a medical degree to see that it was clear when you watched that something was seriously wrong.'
They added that there is concern that there are few protocols in place to deal with presenters who take ill.
The veteran journalist was seen slurring his words as he introduced the last news item on the News at 10 bulletin, and his left eye appeared to start drooping, causing many to fear he was unwell
'I can't imagine what they were thinking, Chris Ship (pictured) has presented the news loads of times and he was sitting there at the top of the programme covering a royal story about Charles. They should have just switched him in', one former ITN executive said
'It is true that they were trying to get him to come off air but someone needs to be able overrule the presenters when there is a medical emergency.
'The worry is that because he refused to get out of the chair and is taking responsibility for the situation himself, nothing will be done. That's why people are upset.
'There is this old-fashioned mentality that the show must go on — which is just crazy. We need to look at what happened and make sure that swift and decisive action is taken if anything like this happens again in the future.'
One former ITN executive called for an inquiry into how Mr Omaar was allowed to present, given that other qualified presenters were on-air at the time.
'I can't imagine what
