Rory Stewart, the former Conservative MP, has gone viral after staring intently at a fellow panelist on BBC's Newsnight. The clip, which has been widely shared on social media, shows Stewart fixing his gaze on journalist Ailbhe Rea during a discussion about artificial intelligence.
The moment on Newsnight
Stewart appeared on the programme on 18 September alongside former Labour leader Neil Kinnock and Rea, the New Statesman's political editor. After Stewart made his comments, presenter Matt Chorley asked Rea what Westminster could do about AI development. Stewart then swiveled around in his chair and stared directly at Rea with an expression of absolute focus.
Chorley told the Guardian he didn't notice anything unusual during the recording: "I didn't notice Rory looking particularly intently at anyone during the course of the programme." He only became aware of the moment when friends texted him.
Reactions and comparisons
The clip has turned into a meme online, with commenters imagining situations where the stare could have occurred. The Larry the Cat social media account posted: "When HR tells you that you need to listen better to female colleagues." Total Politics Group's chief executive, Mark Wallace, compared Stewart's behavior to comedian Kevin Eldon's surreal style, writing: "There's a high degree of Kevin Eldon energy to this. Magnificently strange."
Rea, who was on the receiving end of the stare, posted the clip on X, joking she would "please like attention levels like this on my latest interview" after sharing a link to her recent reporting.
Chorley's perspective
Chorley noted that Stewart was "used to this," referencing a 2019 clip of him taking off his tie during a Tory leadership debate that also went viral. "It's not the first time that something he's done has gone wild online. I think he was genuinely probably just intently listening to what Ailbhe had to say. But there was something about the camera angle and his very direct look," he said.
Chorley added that many behaviors that appear normal in person can look strange on screen, and he had learned to "remember you're always on." He also recalled an early Newsnight episode where Telegraph columnist Tim Stanley winked at the camera. "This is just the beauty of live telly," he said. "It's a reminder that even when the camera is on the person who's talking, you might be in shot."
