Former MP Rory Stewart has stepped away from social media following a viral clip from Newsnight. The footage shows Stewart spinning sharply toward journalist Ailbhe Rea, sparking millions of views and widespread online commentary.
17 million views for a Newsnight spin
The incident took place during a September 18 broadcast of Newsnight, where Rory Stewart was discussing the risks of British society relying on AI firms owned by China and the United States . According to the report, the moment occurred as host Matt Chorley prompted journalist Ailbhe Rea for her thoughts, at which point Rory Stewart tured and leaned intensely toward her.
The resulting clip became a massive social media sensation, particularly on X, where it has been viewed 17 million times and received 23,000 likes. While Ailbhe Rea, the political editor of the New Statesman, responded to the viral moment with humor—using a GIF of the spin to promote her own work—the general public was less reserved, with some users comparing the movement of Rory Stewart to a "jackknifing lorry" or an attentive dog.
Family-mandated digital detox after the Ailbhe Rea clip
In a follow-up video posed to the Newsnight TikTok account, Rory Stewart revealed that he was largely unaware of the scale of the reaction because he had been traveling. As reported, Rory Stewart had been visiting an Army base and was abroad when the clip first gained traction.
Upon his return, Rory Stewart claimed that his family gave him strict instructions to disable all social media applications on his phone to avoid the onslaught of commentary. In the TikTok footage, which was filmed inside a vehicle, Rory Stewart appeared to embrace the absurdity of the situation by re-enacting the dramatic spin for the camera, though he remained noticeably sporting an unexplained plaster on his face.
From the 2019 Tory leadership race to the 2020 mayoral bid
This latest viral moment fits into a broader pattern of perceived quirkiness that has defined the public persona of Rory Stewart for years. During the 2019 Conservative leadership contest, which was eventually won by Boris Johnson, Rory Stewart became known for his earnest but often awkward interactions with voters, including unpolished selfies that captured the internet's attention.
His reputation for eccentricity was further cemented during televised leadership debates when Rory Stewart removed his tie to distance himself from the "alternate reality" of the studio. This trend continued into the 2020 London mayoral race, where Rory Stewart ran as an independent and attempted a highly unconventional campaign strategy of inviting himself into the homes of London residents to better understand their daily lives.
The mystery of the plaster and the sudden turn
Despite the viral nature of the clip, several specific details remain unexplained. While Rory Stewart re-enacted the movement in a car, he did not provide a concrete reason for why he leaned so intensely toward Ailbhe Rea during the original broadcast. Furthermore, the source of the plaster on Rory Stewart's face in the TikTok video was never disclosed.
The reporting primarily focuses on the reactions of the public and the participants, leaving it unclear whether the "spin" was a conscious rhetorical gesture or a simple lapse in spatial awareness. While Ailbhe Rea has joked about the event, there is no official statement from Newsnight regarding the production side of the encounter.
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