George is the son of Donald Alagiah, an engineer, and Therese. The disease returned in 2017 and he also contracted COVID-19 at the start of the pandemic in 2020. You have to work that out for yourself.". I'm hoping it's a long time from now, but I'm very lucky.". If I were their age, I'd like to be their friend. George won the Asian Awards Outstanding Achievement in Television award in 2010. [4] His parents, Donald Alagiah, an engineer, and Therese, were Sri Lankan Tamil. George Alagiah is a British journalist, newsreader, and television news presenter. On 28 June, Alagiah announced on Twitter that he was making "encouraging progress". Of course I wish I never had this disease, but Im not sure Id give these six years back. After graduating from college, George enrolled at Van Mildert College and Durham University to study politics. I'm comfortable with women. And if you, or someone you know, have been affected by cancer, information and support is available on the BBC's Action Line page. In addition, George celebrates his birthday on the 22nd of November every year and his zodiac sign is Sagittarius. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? Her sons always made their family feel like a sober family and make them complete. Read about our approach to external linking. George Alagiah Granddaughter He states that his granddaughter's birth was nothing but a spiritual experience. However, he was forced to leave in July 2009 due to a professional conflict of interest, according to BBC management. He was born November 22, 1955 in Colombo, Ceylon. Alagiah is happily married to Frances Robathan. With two growing sons Adam and Matthew (both now in their thirties, the latter following in his fathers footsteps in the media) he returned to Britain in the early 2000s and landed the principal role at the Six OClock News, as it was, in 2007. [8] Before becoming a presenter, he was Developing World correspondent, based in London, and then Southern Africa correspondent in Johannesburg. Frances Robathan was the Senior Partnerships Adviser of the Fairtrade Foundation, where she worked for 18 years since 2002. He is the third born. George Maxwell Alagiah(BBC), Bio, Wiki, Age, Height, Education, Family, Career, Salary and Net Worth. When I look back and I looked at my journey the family I had, the opportunities my family had, the great good fortune to bump into [Frances Robathan], whos now been my wife and lover for all these years, the kids that we brought up it didnt feel like a failure.. After 18 months of fighting with colorectal cancer, George must have wondered if he would ever returnto his old life and the job he loves most. No one uses the d-word. Amid the economic collapse, there is a widespread sense of how did this happen. Alagiah stands approximately at a height of 5 feet 10 inches tall and he weighs 87 kg. He was the presenter of BBC Four News from its launch in 2002; the programme was later relaunched as The World and then another edition of World News Today. George Alagiah was first diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer in April 2014, which subsequently spread to his lungs, liver and lymph nodes. The only time he even starts to look his age is when he puts on a striking pair of dark pink specs to work out how to turn off a message that keeps appearing on his computer screen. British journalist and reader of BBC News at Six, George Alagiah has declared that he would be taking time off from his presenting duties after it was discovered through a scan that his bowel cancer has spread. Being healthy, being content, being physically comfortable is as much about the mind as it is the body., He uses breathing techniques taught to him by his very clever and imaginative osteopath to calm his mind and deal with its reaction to the pain caused by the tumour next to his spine. Series two Episode four: Surgery and bowel cancer George Alagiah and Frances Robathan have two children - Adam, 34, and Matthew, 30. Alagiah was last seen on the show in 2014. The globe looks different depending on where youre standing. Not every day., For the only time in our conversation, he turns away. Alagiah has told of how he has undergone more than 100 rounds of chemotherapy since his first cancer diagnosis eight years ago and has been lucky to get four hours of sleep a night. Moreover, he was sabbatical officer of Durham Students' Union. 2023 BBC. My father is an idealist so from him I've learned to dream. The couple met at Durham University. That day, it was OK. Alagiah told her he would ring back, that the most important thing was to rush home and tell family. There have been times when even lying down makes it worse., There was a period last year, he says, when he was getting four straight hours sleep a night and counting himself lucky. And I am looking out of the window at Frances setting out the tablecloth on our garden table, and it occurs to me, is she going to have to do that for herself one day, and eat on her own?'. [12][13] He has also been actively involved in supporting microfinance as a tool for development, including recent appearances in support of Opportunity International. But, at that stage I was getting my head around this disease, and being told I had to sort my affairs out, desperately wanting to get better, worrying about my family and all those different emotions. Alagiah goes ahead to state that there was seeming to be a powerful thing in a new life entering the world while another which is his was getting compromised. The 41-year-old who rose to fame starring in popular sitcoms The Royle Family, Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps and . When talking about being recognised as a celebrity, George said his sons keep him down to earth. , updated For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, George Alagiah, 66, and Frances Robathan, 61, have been married for 37 years, George Alagiah and wife Frances, accompanied by their sons Adam, left and Matt, right, at Buckingham Palace, first diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). But I cannot wait until they're the ones driving the car and I'm the one snoozing in the back. Alagiah together with his lovely wife have two children namely Matthew Alagiah and Adam Alagiah Is George Alagiah married? But thats right now and it may not be true for tomorrow. George Alagiah said his life and family "didn't feel like a failure", said in June 2020 that the cancer had spread, Harry: I feared losing memories of mum during therapy, US-made cheese can be called 'gruyere' - court, The children left behind in Cuba's exodus, Canadian grandma helps police snag phone scammer, AOC under investigation for Met Gala dress. The popular journalist George suffered a lot but his wife and family were always by his side. Disappointing stats on NTP uncovered by. When asked what piece of wisdom he would give, he spoke about the need for people to think more collectively. I have had days when things feel more difficult, when I feel, how long is this going to go on for? The BBC presenter reflected in an interview about his career and marriage of 37 years. The 66-year-old journalist was diagnosed with stage . Alagiah then took a role reading the Six O'Clock News in 2007. Alagiah reported on Twitter on June 28 that he was making encouraging progress. He announced the end of his treatment on Twitter in late October 2015, and he returned to the BBC on November 10th. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. His income is mainly from his successful career as a broadcast journalist. BBC presenter George Alagiah will be taking a break from TV after discovering his cancer has spread further, his agent has said. It is an . "I'm missing my colleagues", he said, adding that he was looking forward to returning to the studio "as soon as I can". [6] His other documentaries and features include reports on why affirmative action in America is a 'Lost Cause', for the Assignment programme, Saddam Hussein's genocidal campaign against the Kurds of northern Iraq for the BBC's Newsnight programme and a report on the last reunion of the veterans of Dunkirk.[8]. Ive spent a lot of the last 18 months in extreme pain. After global riots in 2007 and 2008, George Alagiah travelled the world to reveal why we could be heading for . George's Photo George Alagiah Wife The couple, who have two sons in their thirties, met at university. Education: The education details are not available at this time. A Passage to Africa is Alagiah's shattering catalogue of atrocities crafted into a portrait of Africa that is infused with hope, insight, and outrage. Laterthe programme was replaced as The World. It haunts me. George Alagiah's Controversy & Recent News There were 28 of us. Two sisters live in Britain, another in Switzerland and one in Florida. The 66-year-old newsreader was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2014 but carried on working until 2021 when he took a short break from the airwaves. He also tested positive for COVID-19 . Each day, news reporters, forecasters and presenters work hard to gather information and deliver to public via news programs, radio and news papers. "I learned last time around how important the support of family and friends is and I am blessed in that . The novel is described as a thrilling, fast-paced thriller set in South Africa involving corruption and homicide.. George Alagiah interviews Stacey Heale from Southampton, whose husband Greg has bowel cancer, along with the charity's former Chief Executive, Deborah Alsina MBE, on what it's like caring for a loved one with the disease. He was first diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer in 2014 and has stepped back from presenting intermittently for treatment since then. The famous British journalist is a married man. By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. He said: 'We had a mutual friend. He has two younger sisters and two older sisters. My career took me to some of the most dangerous places on the planet, and nothing ever turned out quite as bad as I thought it might., What has changed as a result of diagnosis, he says, is his understanding of the richness of each day. It was when legislative discrimination against the Tamils was beginning in Sri Lanka. You can't do that in a terraced house. George Alagiah and Frances Robathan have two children - Adam, 34, and Matthew, 30. Ive not had the anger but it takes quite a lot anyway to get me angry. "Probably it will get me in the end. 'When I called her, she was walking out of the Marsden [Londons leading cancer hospital], having had her own regular scan to see if the cancer was spreading. The Next Giant Leap. Since 3rd July 2006, George presented World News Today on BBC World News and BBC Two on 1st February 2010. In 2020, though, the Sri-Lankan born newsreader revealed it had spread to his lungs. I was nearly killed by a shell in Afghanistan. [4] His parents, Donald Alagiah, an engineer, and Therese, were Sri Lankan Tamil. His current regime is low doses for around three quarters of the year, and higher doses for the rest of the time. [6] The family's former home had been destroyed, but he was able to recognise an old well where he had played with his sisters, although the well was unsalvageable. It was a great relief, however, that the cancer was operable with a devastating twist. When it comes to my family, I still have this sense of He stumbles briefly and uncharacteristically. "It's sobering to have your kids tell you, when you're dropping them off at school, 'Dad, don't get out of the car! Last thing, I ask myself, Georgie, are you going to be around tomorrow? And I always say, yes I am. "I don't think I'm going to be able to get rid of this thing. I dont think I would have had it if I had not been living with cancer, and been in a position where I had to think if I have one year, or two years, how do I navigate myself through that., He now goes through a small ritual every evening as he goes to bed. In late 2017 he revealed the cancer had returned after more than a year of him thinking he had got clear of it and in 2020 he shared that it had spread to his lungs. Adam Alagiah was born in the year 1987 and is now 34 years old. George at home with his wife Frances in North London, Source: Daily Mail He is married to Frances Robathan, with whom he has two sons. He was named as the BBC's leading foreign correspondents, reporting on events ranging from the genocide in Wanda to plight of the Marsh Arabs in Southern Iraq to civil wars in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Somalia and Afghanistan. Besides, he also earns from his books as an author. [citation needed], Alagiah joined the BBC in 1989 after seven years in print journalism with South Magazine. He said in June 2020 that the cancer had spread to his lungs, liver and lymph nodes. Image: George with his wife and two sons. He also states that she was waiting until the arrival of his birthday. He is known for being a TV Show Host. [21][22] In January 2018 it emerged that the cancer had returned and he would undergo further treatment. It is very technical so you have to be careful. He receives low doses for three quarters of the year and higher doses the rest of the time. His parents moved to Ghana, West Africa, in 1961. He has won multiple honors, including the Royal Television Societys Best International Report in 1993 and the Amnesty International UK Media Awards Overall Winner in 1994. If they all knew what I thought on every topic we report on, wed lose some of them. George Alagiah father's name is under review and mother unknown at this time. Its still happening 28 years later. [16], He is married to Frances Robathan, whom he met at Durham University. He is doing a better job than me at keeping his eyes dry. Alagiah was born in Colombo, Ceylon on 22 November 1955. [7] His secondary education took place at St John's College, an independent Roman Catholic school in Portsmouth, England, after which he read politics at Van Mildert College, Durham University. [23][24], In March 2018, in an interview with The Sunday Times, Alagiah noted that his cancer was terminal and could have been caught earlier if the screening programme in England, which is automatically offered from the age of 60, was the same as that in Scotland, where it is automatically offered from the age of 50. But she stopped and talked to me for half an hour. The BBC received complaints from members of the public who were upset that Alagiah had been asked to resign. The 66-year-old broadcaster, who took a break from news reading last October, was first . Frances went to Durham University, where she met her husband. After his graduation, George served at South Magazine in 1982 and later worked for the British Broadcasting Corporation, where Alagiah became Developing World correspondent in London. His has been, he says, a blessed life. Read about our approach to external linking. Read about our approach to external linking. It is really important for me to know that, when my eyes shut, it is only going to be for a little while and that another day will start., Are there ever darker moments, like when he had hoped the cancer had gone but then it returned? [18], On 17 April 2014, it was announced that Alagiah was being treated for colorectal cancer. My own cells, and they have gone Awol but he has never wanted to hide away or turn his back on the job he has been doing all his adult life. The news was confirmed by his agent Mary Greenham. Alagiah underwent 17 rounds of chemotherapy to treat his advanced bowel cancer in 2014 and said he was a "richer person" for it upon returning to presenting the following year. I'd love to campaign to bring about the three-generational family, living in close proximity. Furthermore, during the COVID-19 pandemic in mid-March 2020, Alagiah tested positive for COVID-19 and exhibited mild symptoms. We had a mutual friend. During his days at Durham, Alagiah was a writer and editor for the student newspaper titled palatinate. The question keeps popping up. BBC newsreader George Alagiah, 66, left viewers and colleagues emotional today over his return to broadcasting.Earlier this afternoon, George had taken to Twitter to announce his return to the . Since December 2007 George has presented BBC News at 6, Britain's most-watched news programme. The TV journalist, 65, who regularly . [14], In 2020, his debut novel The Burning Land was shortlisted for a Society of Authors' award. Working in the newsroom "has been such an important part of keeping energised and motivated", said Alagiah. "I had to stop and say, 'Hang on a minute. Most people thought that he would look terrible after the surgery. Alagiah was first diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer in April 2014. There he began attending 'Christ the King International', a primary school. . We will continue to update details on George Alagiah's family. George recalled the memory and said, "The doctors are very careful in what they say, so you have to read between the lines and work out what theyre not saying. George tied a knot to Frances in the year 1984. BBC News BBC presenter George Alagiah will be taking a break from TV after discovering his cancer has spread further, his agent has said. Since the marriage, George and Frances shares two children togethers. [26] In October 2022, Alagiah announced that his cancer had spread further and he took a break from TV to undergo a new series of treatment. Since 3 December 2007, he has been the sole presenter of the Six O'Clock News. They have been together since they met for the first time at Durham University when Frances was 19 and George 20. The elder one is doing international development and I think Matthew could be a writer. George grew up alongside his four siblings Mari, Christine, Rachel, and Jennifer. I dont know if it is into my spine. After completing his secondary education at St Johns College, a private Roman Catholic school in Portsmouth, England, he went on to Van Mildert College, Durham University, to study politics. However, there are no details regardinng his wife. Most people with these symptoms do not have bowel cancer, but the NHS advice is to see your GP if you have one or more of the symptoms and they have persisted for more than four weeks. His parents moved to Ghana in West Africa in 1961. Further, he said that it was not chronic or terminal.. George Alagiah has confirmed he'll be back on BBC News tonight following months of cancer treatment. We weren't rebellious. Read about our approach to external linking. It was 1994 in Kabul and I had just walked out of the house I was staying in. In an interview in January 2022, the BBC newsreader said: Probably [cancer] will get me in the end. Thats the one we are watching.'. Alagiah, 66, has been married to wife Frances, an executive with the Fairtrade Foundation charity, for 36 years. In 2000, Alagiah was part of the BBC team which collected a BAFTA award for its coverage of the Kosovo conflict. [15] The book is described as a "gripping, pacy thriller about corruption and homicide in South Africa". It is very technical so you have to be careful. There seemed something so powerful in a new life entering the world while another, mine, was so compromised. George Alagiah: I have a tumour site in my lower back - I've spent a lot of time in pain'. He is on the Board of the Royal Shakespeare Company. He is a member of the Royal Shakespeare Companys Board of Directors. George was a patron of the Fairtrade Foundation from 2002 to 2009. George Alagiah: It took me a long time to feel comfortable in my Britishness. He looks slim and perfect this time. However, in January 2018, the cancer had complexes and Alagiah had to undergo for treatment again. Adam Alagiah and Matthew Alagiah are two sons of George Alagiah and are his most treasured family. And they clearly have. If I had three feet, I'd have them in Asia, Africa and Europe. Photograph: Eamonn McCabe for the Guardian. 'But I have discomfort all the way from my mouth to my bum. Family Tree. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. Me? He was previously a relief presenter on BBC News at Ten, filling in for regular presenters Fiona Bruce and Huw Edwards when they were absent. He continues: 'The thing about bowel cancer is, it is all about poo and bums and people dont like talking about them. They described my condition as serious, and I knew it was as bad as it gets. Therese Alagiah and Donald Alagiah, both engineers, were Sri Lankan Tamils. He went to boarding school in England at twelve years old. Robathan, aged 61, was the Senior Partnerships Adviser of the Fairtrade Foundation, where she. Sam Moore. In January, Alagiah said he thought the cancer he had had since 2014 would "probably get me in the end", but he still feels "very lucky". And on continuing to read the news despite his diagnoses, he adds: 'Going into the newsroom doesnt kill any cancer cells, thats for sure. BBC News At Six popular anchor George Alagiah has announced that he is taking a break from presenting the channel's evening news bulletin after discovering his cancer has spread further, his . George Alagiah reflects on cancer journey alongside Sheridan Smith. Alagiah was born in Colombo, Ceylon on 22 November 1955. The BBC newsreader was first diagnosed with the disease several . George Alagiah has shared his belief his diet may have something to do with him first being diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2014. It's the idea that I'm only human if I recognise the humanity in you. The BBC turned me down three times at the start of my career, and Im grateful. George Alagiah was born on the 22nd of November, 1955. What financial arrangements? Not every day.'. Both of which are significant. ", "When the oncologist was looking at my scan, he kept gently shaking his head, and every time he did it was like a hammer blow. He is appreciative for all the kind wishes he has received thus far and is optimistic for a favorable conclusion, the BBC stated in a statement. the opportunities my family had, the . George Alagiah with his sisters, mother and father in Sri Lanka, 1959; and with his sisters and mother in Ghana, 1965 . I go into the clinic to start off each dose of chemo, then I come home with a little pump that hangs around my waist for three days. Going into the newsroom doesnt kill any cancer cells, thats for sure. George grew up alongside his four siblings Mari, Christine, Rachel, and Jennifer. View our online Press Pack. Both are sons, Adam Alagiah (23 years old) and Matthew Alagiah (19 years old). Being a journalist is not an easy job. "It's. The Burning Land, Alagiahs debut novel, was shortlisted for a Society of Authors award in 2020. The book can be bought from Amazon with a price range of $15.57. [19] A statement from the BBC said: "He is grateful for all the good wishes he has received thus far and is optimistic for a positive outcome." Alagiah has spoken at the Royal Geographical Society, the Royal Society of Arts, and the Royal Overseas League, as well as at literary festivals in Cheltenham, Hay-on-Wye, and London, Keswick. (BBC) George Alagiah has announced that he will be stepping back from presenting BBC News after scans confirmed his cancer has spred further. George Maxwell Alagiah OBE is a British newsreader, journalist, and news presenter who began his career as a reporter and correspondent for the BBC in 1989. BBC presenter George Alagiah has admitted that reading the news while he has cancer leaves him "absolutely knackered physically".. We werent poor people, by the way, but it is just the way things were in Sri Lanka in the 1950s. His parents moved to Ghana, West Africa, in 1961, where he attended Christ the King International School for his primary education. As an immigrant child I mentally parcelled up all the things that made me different. Swapping the mango trees of Ghana for an inner-city British Catholic boarding school, aged 11, was a shock to my system. Moreover, there are ho rumors or controversies about the couple that leads into their separation or divorce. 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