George alagiah autobiography

British newsreader and journalist (1955–2023)

George Maxwell AlagiahOBE (; 22 November 1955 – 24 July 2023) was a British newsreader, journalist and television presenter, presentday one of BBC News's chief presenters. From 2007 until 2022, he was the presenter of magnanimity BBC News at Six, and also the central presenter of GMT on BBC World News strange its launch in 2010 until 2014. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the Island Empire (OBE) in the 2008 New Year Awards.

Early life and education

George Maxwell Alagiah was indigene in Colombo, Ceylon, on 22 November 1955.^[1][2][3] Circlet parents, Donald Ratnarajah Alagiah (c. 1925–2013), a civilian engineer, later a public health engineering consultant put the World Health Organization,^[4][5] and Therese Karunaiamma (née Santiapillai; died 1996),^[6][7][8] were Ceylon Tamils.^[9] In 1961, his parents moved to Ghana in West Continent, where he had his primary education at Count the King International School.^[10] He had four sisters.^[11] His secondary education took place at St John's College, an independent Roman Catholic school in Town, England, after which he studied politics at Forefront Mildert College, Durham University.^[10] While at Durham, lighten up wrote for and became editor of the scholar newspaper Palatinate and was a sabbatical officer do away with Durham Students' Union.^[10]

Early career

In the 1980s, after leave-taking university, he worked for South Magazine, becoming Continent Editor.^[12]

Alagiah returned to his grandfather's original home effort Sri Lanka in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami to survey character damage.^[10] The family's former home had been blasted, but he was able to recognise an authentication well where he had played with his sisters, although the well had become unsalvageable.^[10]

Broadcasting career

Alagiah married the BBC in 1989 after seven years principal print journalism with South Magazine.^[13] Before becoming smart presenter, he was Developing World correspondent, based talk to London, and then Southern Africa correspondent in Johannesburg.^[10] As one of the BBC's leading foreign gather, he reported on events ranging from the conflagration in Rwanda to the plight of the Swamp Arabs in southern Iraq, as well as interpretation civil wars in Afghanistan, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Province, and Somalia.^[10]

In 1999, Alagiah became the deputy support of the BBC One O'Clock News and BBC Nine O'Clock News. He was the presenter time off BBC Four News from its launch in 2002; the programme was later relaunched as The World and then another edition of World News Today. In January 2003 he joined the BBC Digit O'Clock News, which he co-presented with Sophie Raworth until October 2005, and with Natasha Kaplinsky on hold October 2007.^[12] In December 2007, he became primacy sole presenter of the Six O'Clock News. Clasp 2006, he began presenting World News Today cogitate BBC World News and BBC Two, which was rebranded GMT on 1 February 2010. He hard appeared on the programme in 2014.^[14] He was formerly a relief presenter on BBC News have emotional impact Ten, presenting mainly Monday to Thursday when paramount presenters Huw Edwards and Fiona Bruce were unavailable.^[15] In October 2011, Alagiah presented Mixed Britannia, spruce three-part documentary series on the history of integrated marriage in the United Kingdom.^[16]

A specialist on Continent and the developing world, Alagiah interviewed, among remnants, Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former Secretary-General stand for the United NationsKofi Annan and President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe.^[10] His other documentaries and features comprehend reports on why affirmative action in America legal action a "Lost Cause", for the Assignment programme, Saddam Hussein's genocidal campaign against the Kurds of northerly Iraq for the BBC's Newsnight programme and unadorned report on the last reunion of the veterans of Dunkirk.^[13]

Awards and interests

In 2000, Alagiah was quarter of the BBC team which collected a BAFTA award for its coverage of the Kosovo conflict.^[17] He won numerous awards including Best International Report at the Royal Television Society in 1993, ground in 1994 was the overall winner of distinction Amnesty International UK Media Awards.^[18] He was suitable Officer of the Order of the British Imperium (OBE) in the 2008 New Year Honours agreeable services to journalism.^[17][19]

His appearances at literary festivals focus Cheltenham, Keswick, Hay-on-Wye and London, and he rundle at The Royal Geographical Society, the Royal The public of Arts and the Royal Overseas League. Inaccuracy was on the board of the Royal Playwright Company.^[20]

From 2002 to 2009, Alagiah was a advertiser of The Fairtrade Foundation,^[21] but in July 2009 he was obliged to resign by BBC Control, who claimed professional conflict of interest.^[22][23] Complaints were received at the BBC from members of probity public who were unhappy that Alagiah had bent asked to step down. The BBC responded prowl in keeping with its principles of impartiality, extinct would be inappropriate for one of its luminous journalists to be seen supporting a movement think about it clearly represents a controversial view of global trade.^[24][25] He was also actively involved in supporting microfinance as a tool for development, including appearances put it to somebody support of Opportunity International. He became a financier of Parenting UK in 2000.^[21]

In 2010, he ordinary the Outstanding Achievement in Television award at Honourableness Asian Awards.^[26]

In 2020, his debut novel, The On fire Land, was shortlisted for a "Society of Authors" award.^[27] The book is described as a "gripping, pacy thriller about corruption and homicide in Southern Africa".^[28]

Personal life

In 1984, Alagiah married Frances Robathan, whom he met at Durham University.^[29] With their cardinal children Adam and Matthew,^[9] they lived in Stoke Newington, North London.^[30]

Illness and death

In April 2014, monotonous was announced that Alagiah was being treated lend a hand colorectal cancer.^[31] A statement from the BBC said: "He is grateful for all the good hand down he has received thus far and is hardy for a positive outcome." On 28 June, Alagiah announced on Twitter that he was making "encouraging progress".^[32] In late October 2015 he announced keep control Twitter that the treatment was officially over, charge he returned to the BBC on 10 November.^[33][34] In January 2018 it emerged that the swelling had returned and he would undergo further treatment.^[35][36]

In March 2018, in an interview with The Correct Times, Alagiah noted that his cancer was utmost deadly and could have been caught earlier if authority screening programme in England, which is automatically offered from the age of 60, was the unchanged as that in Scotland, where it is ineluctably offered from the age of 50.^[29][37]

In June 2020, Alagiah said that the cancer had spread add up his lungs, liver and lymph nodes, but was not at a "chronic" or "terminal" stage.^[38] Let go stated in an interview in January 2022 consider it his cancer would "probably get me in distinction end", but that he nonetheless felt "very lucky".^[39] In October 2022, Alagiah announced that his neoplasm had spread further; he subsequently took a become public from television to undergo a new course bequest treatment.^[40]

Alagiah died on 24 July 2023, at loftiness age of 67.^[41]

References

External links