Veteran News Anchor George Alagiah Dead at 67

George Alagiah, one of the BBC’s longest-serving journalists, has died. Alagiah’s agent, Mary Greenham, confirmed to PA that the veteran news anchor died peacefully on Monday morning “surrounded by his family and loved ones” nine years after he was diagnosed with bowel cancer. He was 67.

“I am so terribly sorry to inform you that George Alagiah died peacefully today, surrounded by his family and loved ones. George fought until the bitter end but sadly that battle ended earlier today,” Greenham said in a statement, per Deadline. “George was deeply loved by everybody who knew him, whether it was a friend, a colleague or a member of the public. He simply was a wonderful human being.”

Born in Sri Lanka before moving to Ghana and then England, Alagiah joined the BBC as a foreign affairs correspondent in 1989, initially working in London, and then became Africa correspondent. He would go on to serve as a correspondent in countries including Rwanda, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Somalia and interview major figures including Nelson Mandela and Robert Mugabe. During his three-decade-long career at the BBC, Alagiah would present the BBC One O’Clock News, Nine O’Clock News, BBC Four News, and his own show on BBC World News. He was also one of the main presenters of the BBC News at Six.

“Across the BBC, we are all incredibly sad to hear the news about George. We are thinking of his family at this time,” BBC director general Tim Davie said. “George was one of the best and bravest journalists of his generation who reported fearlessly from across the world as well as presenting the news flawlessly. He was more than just an outstanding journalist, audiences could sense his kindness, empathy and wonderful humanity. He was loved by all and we will miss him enormously.”

Alagiah was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer in 2014 and returned to presenting the following year. He continued to present for the BBC when not receiving treatment. After revealing in 2020 that the cancer had spread to his lungs, liver and lymph nodes, it was announced in late 2022, according to The Guardian, that Alagiah would step down from his presenting duties after the cancer spread further.

Throughout his career, Alagiah received numerous accolades, including for his reports on the famine and war in Somalia in the early 1990s. In 1994, he was not only nominated for a BAFTA for covering Saddam Hussein’s campaign against the Kurds of northern Iraq, but also named Amnesty International’s Journalist of the Year for reporting on the civil war in Burundi. He also won the Broadcasting Press Guild’s award for Television Journalist of the Year. In 2008, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to journalism. Alagiah is survived by his wife of 40 years, Frances Robathan, two sons, and three grandchildren.