The BBC has announced the death of George Alagiah, one of the British public broadcaster's longest-serving and most respected journalists and newsreaders, at the age of 67.
In a statement, his publicist Mary Greenham said the journalist "died peacefully" Monday (July 24) in the presence of family and loved ones.
"George was deeply loved by everybody who knew him, whether it was a friend, a colleague, or a member of the public," Greenham added.
Alagiah has been a fixture on British TV news for more than three decades, reporting in various places across the world. He also presented the BBC's evening primetime news program for the past 20 years.
Life and Career
Alagiah was born in Sri Lanka before his Christian Tamil family moved to the UK during his childhood. He faced bullying from school peers for the color of his skin but has overcome it all as he aged.
He attended Durham University, where he met, and later married, Frances Robathan. Upon graduation, he spent seven years at South Magazine before joining the BBC as a foreign affairs correspondent for Africa in 1989.
Alagiah also became one of the first reporters out of Kosovo to broadcast some of the first pictures and videos of the ethnic cleansing there in 1999. He called this moment one of his proudest professional moments.
Other career highlights include reporting from native Sri Lanka during the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, from New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and from Pakistan following the South Asian earthquake in 2005. He also interviewed personalities like South African President Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, and President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe.
He received the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2008 for his services to journalism. He was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2014 and revealed in October 2022 it had spread further.
Alagiah was survived by his wife Frances and their two children.
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A Legend Among the BBC's Midst
Alagiah's colleagues in the BBC and in the wider British broadcasting profession remembered him as a good journalist and a better person.
BBC director general Tim Davie called Alagiah "one of the best and bravest journalists of his generation" for his stellar performance in reporting the news from across the world. "He was more than just an outstanding journalist," he added, "audiences could sense his kindness, empathy, and wonderful humanity. He was loved by all and we will miss him enormously."
In a tweet, BBC World Affairs editor John Simpson said Alagiah was a "gentler, kinder, more insightful and braver friend and colleague it would be hard to find."
Meanwhile, journalists from other networks have also given tribute to Alagiah.
Sky News's Mark Austin called Alagiah a rival foreign correspondent but a friend above all things.
LBC's Sangita Myska called the BBC presenter an inspiration to British Asian reporters like her. "That scene was replicated across the UK. We thank you, George. RIP," she added.
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