Newsnight

[saintstim]

Why does Fiona Bruce always keep waving a pen around when she has no intention of actually using it?

[retrocop]

Perhaps she is dying for a fag and the pen is a surrogate.

[Mamyalynne]

A habit.

[saintstim]

It would be a nice change if she stopped talking over people and let them actually answer a question.

[saintstim]

My mistake. It was question time not newsnight.

[Buenchico]

Perhaps she's getting a backhander from Parker pens or similar?

;-)

[retrocop]

Many ‘so called’ professional programme presenters do that. John Sow and his CH4 TV news team.Most of LBC radio presenters bar Farage and Ferrari.

[retrocop]

Typo Jon Snow

[Georgiesmum]

I cant say Ive ever noticed it.

[fiction-factory]

Most of us have these habits. Boris reaches into his pocket for a pen then puts it back. Prince Charles repeatedly reaches for his inside pocket and pulls nothing out

[Bazile]

I reach over to her indoors for a kiss and get a smack in the gob

[gulliver1]

07.59 Boris seems to do it when he cannot answer the question , and it gives him time to think of a lie, or when he is facing Keir Starmer at the Despatch Box .

[Theland]

Prince Charles, left hand in left jacket pocket, then points, then twiddles with cuffs, then repeat ........

[gulliver1]

Harry with his right hand inside his jacket, "Napoleon Style"

[andy-hughes]

We all have nervous tics of one sort or another, and they reveal when we are under stress.

Television is a stressful environment, even if you are good at it, as Ms. Bruce is.

She may feel the comfort of something to do with her hands that would otherwise be flapping around in a distracting manner.

A pen is a good prop - as a journalist she could need to write something, and if not, it gives her somewhere to dissipate her nervous energy.