Rageh Omaar, a news anchor at ITV, a channel broadcasting in the UK, suddenly started to experience stiffness and had difficulty reading the news while on live broadcast. In the statement made by the channel, it was announced that Omaar was taken under treatment immediately after the broadcast and the broadcast was interrupted for a while.
While the exact reason was not disclosed, an ITV News spokesperson said that it was grateful for all the 'well wishes' as viewers were quick to voice their concerns on social media, "We are aware that viewers are concerned about Rageh Omaar's health. Rageh fell ill while presenting News on Ten on Friday and is currently receiving medical care. He would like to thank everyone for their well wishes."
According to claims on social media and in the British press, Omaar suffered a stroke during the broadcast, possibly due to a blood clot. However, this has not been confirmed.
VIEWERS NOTICED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE BROADCAST
Many viewers said they noticed that Omaar was having difficulty speaking from the beginning of the broadcast, and a nurse even phoned the channel to warn them to take Omaar off the air. However, the channel's management has been criticized for forcing the anchor to stay on the air until the end of the bulletin, which resulted in her entering intensive care.
ITV+1 has also pulled the replay of the program and replaced it with 'We'll be back soon. We are temporarily unable to provide you with our +1 service. We will resume shortly'.
In footage that went viral on X, Rageh Omaar is seen shaking and struggling to get his words out as he reads a story about his life over the weekend. Many users on the platform are focusing on the claims that Omaar suffered a clot and had a stroke.
