Donal MacIntyre to be Katie Derham’s partner on London Tonight

Donal MacIntyre was today announced as the surprise choice to replace Alastair Stewart as co-anchor of London Tonight.

The Irish investigative journalist, who rose to prominence with his exposé of Chelsea football hooligans in the Nineties, will present the evening show with Katie Derham.

Veteran broadcaster Stewart, 57, left the show in September to become a main newsreader for ITV News at 6.30. Matt Teale had been filling in temporarily but will be replaced by MacIntyre on 6 April.

After his MacIntyre Investigates series for BBC1, the 44-year-old presented programmes for the BBC, ITV, Sky and Five. Last year he appeared on ITV's Dancing On Ice, coming second.