Rory Stewart has addressed a viral Newsnight clip in which he abruptly spun towards journalist Ailbhe Rea and stared intensely at her. He said his family had instructed him to disable social media while he was abroad, and later recreated the movement, appearing to acknowledge the public’s amusement.

The incident followed a discussion about Britain’s reliance on American and Chinese artificial-intelligence firms. A two-second clip reportedly attracted 17 million views and 23,000 likes on X, prompting comparisons with a jack-knifing lorry and an attentive dog. Rea later joked about the moment online, while Stewart offered no explanation for his sudden movement.