“Robert Peston, where are you?” Angela Eagle faces awkward silence during press conference

Angela Eagle formally launched her leadership challenge to Jeremy Corbyn today but there was a snag…

The former Shadow Business Secretary’s announcement came at the worst possible time, clashing with Andrea Leadsom’s last-minute press conference to announce her departure from the Tory party’s leadership race.

Guess which event everyone chose to cover?

Meanwhile over at Angela Eagle’s #LabourLeadership launch… pic.twitter.com/FCRuNyUh0J

— Conor McNally (@conor_mcnally) July 11, 2016

Undeterred, Eagle tried to answer questions from the audience but was met with an excruciating silence, captured in a video that has since gone viral.

She then starts calling out journalists by name – “Robert Peston, where are you?” Silence. “Michael Crick?” Nothing.

Peston later tweeted Eagle, explaining his absence.

.@angelaeagle very sorry to run away from your launch. You will understand why. Don't think it was @andrealeadsom deliberately upstaging you

— Robert Peston (@Peston) July 11, 2016

Awkward.