George Alagiah, one of BBC News’ most high-profile presenters, passed away Monday after a long fight with bowel cancer.
He was only 67.
“Across the BBC, we are all incredibly sad to hear the news about George. We are thinking of his family at this time, said BBC Director-General Tim Davie.
He added, “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.”
Alagiah has been with the BBC since 1989, joining first as a foreign correspondent, then soon after transitioning to Africa correspondent.
In 2002 he moved to the studio, becoming a presenter for BBC Four News, and soon after that, also anchored the BBC One O’Clock News, Nine O’Clock News. In 2003 he was named one of the main presenters of BBC News at Six and also helmed a news show, GMT, from 2010 to 2014 on BBC’s international news channel, BBC World News.
Alagiah is a multi-award-winning journalist, having won accolades for his reports on the famine and war in Somalia in the early 1990s. He was nominated for a Bafta in 1994 for covering Saddam Hussein’s genocidal campaign against the Kurds of northern Iraq.
He was named Amnesty International’s Journalist of the Year in 1994 for reporting on the civil war in Burundi. He also won the Broadcasting Press Guild’s Television Journalist of the Year award. In 2008 he was appointed an OBE (Order of the British Empire) for services to journalism.
Alagiah was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer in 2014 and returned to presenting the following year. He continued to present for the BBC when not receiving treatment.
“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,” Davie said.
He is survived by his wife, Frances Robathan, two sons, and three grandchildren.