Diksha Sundriyal
In Prime Video’s ‘A Very Royal Scandal,’ we watch things fall apart for Prince Andrew after his interview with Newsnight’s Emily Maitlis. For him and the Crown, it spells a lot of trouble and cleaning up the mess created by the interview, but for Maitlis and her team at the BBC, it means a roaring success. While the three-episode show is majorly focused on Maitlis’ perspective, it is clear that she alone couldn’t have pulled it off. She was supported by a team that stood with her from beginning to end, with Stewart Maclean being one of them.
Stewart Maclean Has Enjoyed an Illustrious Career
Following his graduation from the University of Manchester, Stewart Maclean’s career in journalism began as a graduate trainee in 2004 at the Daily Mirror, where he eventually became a staff news reporter. Four years later, he was in Johannesburg, South Africa, working as a freelance correspondent for several major UK and Irish national newspapers. He got his start in the BBC in 2012 as a producer on Newsnight, where he stayed till 2013. Following this, he moved on to ITV News, where he started as a News Editor and was soon promoted to Head of UK specialist journalism.
Maclean came back to the BBC in 2017, working on Newsnight as Assistant Editor, and rose through the ranks to become deputy editor in 2018. In 2019, he worked as the executive producer of the 2019 Prince Andrew interview. Apart from being present during the interview, he was also a part of overseeing negotiations between Newsnight and Buckingham Palace. In 2021, when Esme Wren announced her departure from the BBC, Maclean was made the interim editor of Newsnight. In April 2022, Maclean was announced as the new Editor of Newsnight. He was thrilled to have the job, calling Newsnight “more essential” and helping “viewers digest the day and make sense of events as they unfold in this extraordinary era of news.” He expressed his excitement to lead “a team which strives daily to build on the program’s proud heritage to deliver punchy and compelling journalism.”
Stewart Maclean’s Time on Newsnight was Short-Lived
After barely a year of helming Newsnight, Maclean declared in October 2023 that he would be quitting his job as the editor. This revelation came amidst the major budget cuts announced by the BBC, though Maclean clarified that his decision had nothing to do with it. It was noted that Maclean’s announcement was preceded by a recent debate on Newsnight that didn’t turn out as expected. Acknowledging that the time of his departure was “not ideal,” Maclean expressed his despondence over leaving at “a time of such instability,” referring to the major changes the BBC had planned to roll out. Still, he expressed his faith in the program and its bright future.
Another thing to cast a shadow, even if a small one, on Maclean’s time as the Newsnight Editor was the complaint made against him in 2022 about the nature of his certain comments. According to multiple sources, BBC’s management received a complaint where it was claimed that Maclean made some insensitive comments about a Black Lives Matter story. Allegedly, he made comparisons between Black Lives Matter protests and Islamic State’s destruction of statues in Palmyra during an editorial meeting, which raised concerns among some of the staff. Reportedly, BBC “thoroughly investigated” the case and “completely exonerated” Maclean before clearing him for the post of Newsnight Editor.
Stewart Maclean Still Works For the BBC
Stewart Maclean lives in Nairobi, Kenya, with his wife, Emily, and their two children. His move came after the announcement of his departure as the Editor of Newsnight. Since January 2024, he has been the BBC World News Content’s Africa Bureau Chief. Before leaving for Africa, Maclean talked about his departure and its bad timing, but he emphasized the fact that his move was driven by “deeply personal” reasons pertaining to his family rather than his professional life. His colleagues at Newsnight, calling him a “truly great editor,” noted that “Africa is his great love, and you couldn’t keep him away from there whatever the timing.”
Since his move to Kenya, Maclean has been busy reporting on the turbulent political and social climate of the country, including the Mpox outbreak. In June 2024, he reported on “a movement initiated by young people on social media,” which led to a major policy change by the country’s leadership. In September 2024, Maclean was among the people whose flights were canceled or delayed due to the strike by workers in Kenya in protest of an Indian business group’s involvement in a major deal with their country.
Despite his exit from Newsnight, Maclean is regarded as one of “the BBC’s most creative and accomplished editors in news” who has “consistently delivered high-impact original journalism.” He is credited with having “a track record of finding and developing new talent” while displaying “proven editorial leadership.” BBC News director of programs, John McAndrew, has described him as “a man of deep integrity” who has given his best during his employment in the BBC, especially Newsnight. Maclean is considered in a similar light by almost all of his colleagues. As for his personal life, he prefers to keep it away from the public eye, using his social media accounts to focus more on his professional endeavors.
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