Charlene White gives health update on ITV News’ Rageh Omaar after illness-Alistair McGeorge-Entertainment – Metro

Rageh Omaar sparked concern when he fell ill live on air (Picture: ITV)

ITV newsreader Rageh Omaar is said to be ‘doing really well’ over two weeks after falling ill live on-air.

The 56-year-old presenter appeared to stumble over his words while reading from the autocue during the broadcaster’s News At Ten programme last month, and he was taken to hospital.

Viewers were shocked as they saw the scenes unfold live on air, but now his ITV News colleague Charlene White has given a promising update.

‘Rageh is doing really well. I think when he wants to talk about what happened then he will,’ the Loose Women star told The Sun.

Speaking at the Bafta TV Awards on Sunday, she added: ‘ITV News is a family, we have been checking up on him daily and continuously in fact to make sure he has the support he needs.’

After Omaar received medical treatment immediately following the incident, an ITV News spokesperson thanked viewers for their concern.

Charlene White has provided an update on his health (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)

They said: ‘We appreciate viewers of last night’s News at Ten were concerned about Rageh Omaar’s wellbeing.

‘Following medical treatment at hospital, he is now recovering at home with his family.

‘We are wishing Rageh a speedy recovery and look forward to him being back on screen when he feels ready.’

There had been complaints over the incident, as he continued the broadcast despite his condition, but an ITV News source recently told The Mail on Sunday: ‘The programme team were trying to replace him when they realised there was a problem.

Omaar admitted he was ‘determined’ to finish the broadcast (Picture: ITV)

‘They sent the standby presenter to the set to take over but he insisted on remaining on air. No-one could get him out of his chair. He refused to move.’

In his own statement, Omaar later thanked everyone who had reached out with their ‘kindness and good wishes’, and gave a special shout-out to the medical staff, and his ‘wonderful colleagues at ITV News’.

He admitted: ‘At the time, I was determined to finish presenting the programme. I am grateful for all the support I’ve been given.’

Omaar previously worked as a senior foreign correspondent for the BBC (Picture: Isa Terli/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Omaar is responsible for covering major news stories across the world as the International Affairs Editor, while also presenting ITV’s current affairs programme On Assignment.

Earlier in his career, he was a senior foreign correspondent for the BBC, rising to prominence during the invasion of Iraq in 2003, before moving to ITV News a decade later.

Since October 2015, alongside his duties as International Affairs Editor, Omaar has been a Deputy Newscaster of ITV News at Ten.

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