Newsnight's Emily Maitlis denies suggestion she was replaced on the BBC show
BBC presenter Emily Maitlis has responded to claims that she was replaced on last night's Newsnight.
Yesterday (May 27), the corporation declared that Maitlis' introduction to the previous evening's Newsnight, which discussed the Dominic Cummings lockdown controversy, "did not meet [its] standards of due impartiality".
The show's UK editor Katie Razzall took the reins instead of Maitlis on Wednesday night, prompting many to speculate that the BBC had opted to change presenters following its review of Tuesday's instalment.
Related: Emily Maitlis: 'A BBC boss told me I had to do Strictly to further my career'
However, Maitlis has since clarified that it was her decision to pull out of the show, and she had simply "asked for the night off".
Following the broadcast, she tweeted: "So grateful to my friend and excellent colleague @katierazz for stepping in this evening . She did so because I asked for the night off -knowing tonight's prog would be in the most excellent hands."
Maitlis returned to social media today (March 28) to thank her followers for their concern, posting: "Been overwhelmed by all the kindness, messages - and support on here - and I've probably missed much of it. A big thank you from us all at #newsnight."
At the beginning of Tuesday's edition of Newsnight, Maitlis stated that the country was "shocked" by Prime Minister Boris Johnson response to the actions of his chief advisor Cummings, who travelled from London to County Durham during the coronavirus lockdown.
"Dominic Cummings broke the rules – the country can see that and it's shocked the government cannot," the host declared.
“The longer ministers and the Prime Minister insist he worked within them, the more angry response to the scandal is likely to be... He made those who struggled to keep to the rules feel like fools, and has allowed many more to assume they can flout them."
Been overwhelmed by all the kindness, messages - and support on here - and I’ve probably missed much of it. A big thank you from us all at #newsnight
— emily m (@maitlis) May 28, 2020
Following the broadcast, the BBC said of the piece: "While we believe the programme contained fair, reasonable and rigorous journalism, we feel that we should have done more to make clear the introduction was a summary of the questions we would examine, with all the accompanying evidence, in the rest of the programme.
"As it was, we believe the introduction we broadcast did not meet our standards of due impartiality."
Maitlis isn't scheduled to present any Newsnight instalments for the rest of the week, with Emma Barnett stepping in tonight and Kirsty Wark fronting the show tomorrow.
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