Renowned BBC news anchor George Alagiah died Monday at the age of 67.
Alagiah was one of the BBC’s longest-serving journalists, and died at the age of 67 after a lengthy battle with cancer, according to the outlet. Alagiah was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer in April 2014, which spread to his liver and lymph nodes, which he revealed in 2022.
His agent Mary Greenham confirmed his death in a statement shared in full by Deadline. “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. 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,” Greenham said.
It is with deep sadness that the BBC is announcing the death of its much-loved journalist and presenter George Alagiah.https://t.co/W5TPEKmTIP pic.twitter.com/bP5mwtjHLG
— BBC Press Office (@bbcpress) July 24, 2023
Alagiah joined the BBC in 1989 as a foreign correspondent. Throughout his career, he interviewed everyone from Nelson Mandela to Robert Mugabe and won awards for his coverage of the Rwandan genocide. He also won a BAFTA for his 1994 coverage of Saddam Hussein’s Kurdish genocide campaign in Iraq.
BBC Director General Tim Davie said Alagiah 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 is survived by his wife, Frances Robathan, and their two children.