But there is uncertainty, he says, over whether it may have to change. After the Asian tsunami in 2004, he went back to his grandfather's original home in Sri Lanka to look at the damage. As a BBC presenter, he earned 315,000 319,999 in 2018-2019. And if you, or someone you know, have been affected by cancer, information and support is available on the BBC's Action Line page. The BBC presenter reflected in an interview about his career and marriage of 37 years. His parents Donald Alagiah, an engineer, and Therese were Sri LankanTamil. There seemed something so powerful in a new life entering the world while another, mine, was so compromised. Im not too scared for myself, but Im here on the third floor of our house, he says, almost over his shoulder. He said: 'We had a mutual friend. Education: The education details are not available at this time. Alagiah then took a role reading the Six O'Clock News in 2007. 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. Among his many interviews was one with President Nelson Mandela of South Africa. She even waited until my birthday. [citation needed], Alagiah joined the BBC in 1989 after seven years in print journalism with South Magazine. And they clearly have. There is clearly a private story that runs in parallel with the public appearances. He receives low doses for three quarters of the year and higher doses the rest of the time. If I had three feet, I'd have them in Asia, Africa and Europe. Alagiah has also been a vocal supporter of microfinance as a development tool, including recent appearances in support of Opportunity International. The thing about bowel cancer is, it is all about poo and bums and people dont like talking about them. he said. What I have is a tumour that is resting very close to the spine and, as far as doctors can make out, has eroded a bit of a vertebra. He wrote for and became editor of the student publication Palatinate while at Durham. Moreover, George has been the sole presenter of the Six OClock News since December 3, 2007. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. George Alagiah has shared his belief his diet may have something to do with him first being diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2014. 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. 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?, The Telegraph values your comments but kindly requests all posts are on topic, constructive and respectful. He is known for being a TV Show Host. Im not afraid of vulnerability or saying I am vulnerable, so Im slightly surprised at myself that I kept seeing these leaflets and pamphlets, but somehow I had in my head that if I go to Macmillan, I would be telling myself its over. Both of them have comepleted their high school, whereas the elder son Adam is enrolled into international developement and the younger is busy on building his career as a writer. Being a journalist is not an easy job. Thats the one we are watching. The word significant is typically measured in the circumstances. For more celebrity details, stick on marriedceleb. The famous British journalist makes a decent money from his career. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? And that becomes acute after three days of chemo. It was a great relief, however, that the cancer was operable with a devastating twist. It took me that long to feel comfortable in my Britishness; to reach a point where I didnt feel it could be taken away. [6] As one of the BBC's leading foreign correspondents, he reported on events ranging from the genocide in Rwanda to the plight of the Marsh Arabs in southern Iraq to the civil wars in Afghanistan, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Somalia.[6]. And on continuing to read the news despite his diagnoses, he adds: 'Going into the newsroom doesnt kill any cancer cells, thats for sure. It is an . BBC newsreader George Alagiah was first diagnosed with bowel cancer in April 2014. [14], In 2020, his debut novel The Burning Land was shortlisted for a Society of Authors' award. He adds: ''One of the things I want to do is hold hands with my wife until the end, and am I going to be able to do that? Before joining BBC, he served for seven years in print journalism with South Magazine. According to The Guardian, Alagiah makes $325,000 to $395,000 annually as BBC presenter. 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. The award-winning BBC news presenter talks about his ongoing eight-year struggle with cancer and the rejuvenating role of the workplace. Furthermore, during the COVID-19 pandemic in mid-March 2020, Alagiah tested positive for COVID-19 and exhibited mild symptoms. It haunts me. The 66-year-old newsreader was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer . 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. So, I understand it, but Im afraid I no longer have it. He thinks for a moment. More importantly, it is sitting very close to the nerve and the aorta. According to the BBC, it would be improper for one of its top journalists to be seen promoting a campaign that plainly reflects a controversial view of global trade, in keeping with its values of impartiality. [6] He has four sisters. He is the third born. One of the things I want to do is hold hands with my wife until the end, and am I going to be able to do that? How, I wonder, does he manage the pain if it strikes suddenly while he is reading the headlines, or interviewing someone live in the studio? 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). George Alagiah was first diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer in April 2014, which subsequently spread to his lungs, liver and lymph nodes. George at home with his wife Frances in North London, Source: Daily Mail, (R-L) Adam, George, Frances, and Matt together, Source: Mirror, News Reader George Alagiah at Buckingham Palace after collecting his OBE from the Queen, Source: Mirror, George Alagiah's Married life and Children: Battled with a Cancer, his Wife and Family were always by his side, Updated On 15 Aug, 2017 Published On 13 Aug, 2017, eople fighting cancer and winning over the disease. Copyright 2021, All Right Reserved MARRIEDCELEB. Since 3 December 2007, he has been the sole presenter of the Six O'Clock News. We had a mutual friend. Going into the newsroom doesnt kill any cancer cells, thats for sure. On 28th June, Alagiah announced on his Twitter account that he was making "encouraging progress". His parents moved to Ghana, West Africa, in 1961, where he attended Christ the King International School for his primary education. However, in January 2018, the cancer had complexes and Alagiah had to undergo for treatment again. When it comes to my family, I still have this sense of He stumbles briefly and uncharacteristically. George Alagiah's age is 67. Not every day., For the only time in our conversation, he turns away. I had no cause to do that before, but it is an important assertion of my living in the moment. He does not ask, he points out, if I am going to be here next month. But he resisted initially. We didn't live as a family much after that except for six weeks' holiday a year. "I think it would be to constantly ask the question, 'What is it we can do together?'" He has two younger sisters and two older sisters. 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 . George Aliagiah is married to his wife Frances Robathan. It was a gathering full of passion and joy, but tinged with the realisation that some of us were more vulnerable than others. One brother-in-law died last year, another has pancreatic cancer. The things that had gone well far outweighed the others, which brought me to a place of total contentment. My parents were unconventional for Tamil parents they married for love, educated all their children the same and gave us a lot of freedom but there was still that strain of traditionalism. If I were their age, I'd like to be their friend. Alagiah has been the host of BBC Four News from its inception in 2002; the show has since been renamed The World and then another edition of World News Today. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. George's Photo George Alagiah Wife Most people thought that he would look terrible after the surgery. My mother was the realist. Dont miss to subscribe to our new feeds, kindly fill the form below. By The novel is described as a thrilling, fast-paced thriller set in South Africa involving corruption and homicide.. George Alagiah reflects on cancer journey alongside Sheridan Smith. Disappointing, but not unexpected given this KPI was quietly scrapped for providers. He began his career as a newsreader for BBC News at Six (1984) in 2003, and went on to become a well-known face of BBC news, hosting shows such as BBC News at Ten (2000) and BBC One OClock News (1986), among others. [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. His agent said at the time that he was dealing with a further spread of the . George Alagiah was diagnosed with cancer in 2014. That day, it was okay.'. BBC News BBC presenter George Alagiah will be taking a break from TV after discovering his cancer has spread further, his agent has said. His appearances at literary festivals include Cheltenham, Keswick, Hay-on-Wye and London, and he has spoken at the Royal Geographical Society, the Royal Society of Arts and at the Royal Overseas League. (In 2011 he drew on his own experience to make a BBC2 series, Mixed Britannia. In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, Alagiah says he now has a 'tumour site' at the base of his back. I had two older sisters looking after me and two younger sisters looking up to me. In 2004, he returned to his grandfather's original home in Sri Lanka in the aftermath of the Asian tsunami to survey the damage. He spent a decade as the corporation's foreign correspondent, winning a Baftafor his coverage of the Kosovo conflict in 2000. "I learned last time around how important the support of family and friends is and I am blessed in that . George won the Asian Awards Outstanding Achievement in Television award in 2010. 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. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. There is no joy sometimes without sadness and they feed off each other. He pauses, as if to ask himself if he is really going to say what he is about to say. ", Alagiah takes break from TV for cancer treatment, George Alagiah reveals his cancer has spread, George Alagiah's debut novel up for author's award, Alagiah 'overwhelmed' by viewers' support, Street fighting in Bakhmut but Russia not in control, Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Sizemore dies at 61, Alex Murdaugh's legal troubles are far from over, The children left behind in Cuba's mass exodus, Xi Jinping's power grab - and why it matters, Snow, Fire and Lights: Photos of the Week. 'Ive been with people who treat me as they always did, who dont patronise me, and it is a tremendous fillip.'. [5] He lives in Stoke Newington, North London. In January 2003 he joined the BBC Six O'Clock News, which he co-presented with Sophie Raworth until October 2005, and with Natasha Kaplinsky until October 2007. A specialist on Africa and the developing world, Alagiah has interviewed, among others, Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan and President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. He grew up with his four siblings and holds a British nationality. He was born George Maxwell Alagiah on November 22, 1955, in Colombo, Ceylon. There have been times when even lying down makes it worse.'. He returned to presenting duties the following year after making progress against the disease, saying at the time he was a 'richer person' for it. However, he was forced to leave in July 2009 due to a professional conflict of interest, according to BBC management. Alagiah says he told her to inform her family immediately, but instead she stopped and spoke to him for half an hour. But she stopped and talked to me for half an hour. [12][13] He has also been actively involved in supporting microfinance as a tool for development, including recent appearances in support of Opportunity International. 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. Then they said Catholics. After staying in Colombo till age 6, his family moved to Ghana, and he started attending Crist the King International School for primary education. I dont know if it is into my spine. Since the marriage, George and Frances shares two children togethers. "You're allowed to scream.you're allowed to crybut do not give up". Its has been decades, George has been working for BBC, and no doubt he gets paid in huge numbers. British television journalist known for presenting on BBC News at Six, BBC World News, and BBC News at Ten. Each day, news reporters, forecasters and presenters work hard to gather information and deliver to public via news programs, radio and news papers. Since 3rd December 2007, George is the sole presenter of the Six O'Clock News. Both of their sons, Adam and Matthews are adults. George Alagiah has confirmed he'll be back on BBC News tonight following months of cancer treatment. His father worked as an engineer in Ghana, before the newsreader was sent to boarding school in Portsmouth aged 11. 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.. But he said he was able to look back at the "great good fortune" in his life. The BBC newsreader was first diagnosed with the disease several . Alagiah first joined BBC News at Six (1984) as a newsreader in 2003 and became a much-recognized face of BBC news, also presenting slots in BBC News at Ten (2000) and BBC One O'Clock News (1986), among others. On my wife's side, somebody asked my father-in-law, who was a country lawyer: "Is this Ala-whatsit educated?". . We're in that transition period that other parents worry about: the loss of control and so on. George Alagiah married Robathan the high school sweetheart in the year 1984. It is incredible what adrenalin will do, he laughs. Family of US . Anyone who has lived with cancer will know this., The struggle to adapt lasted around a year, he recalls. And then there were people saying, come and help us with the campaign. If the full stop came now, would my life have been a failure? 'Im not too scared for myself, but Im here on the third floor of our house. View our online Press Pack. George Alagiah was born in Sri Lanka to parents Donald and Therese Alagiah on November 22, 1955. The two of them met and fell in love while students at Durham University at a time when mixed-race relationships were, he has said, certainly less common back then, though not unique. Both of them have comepleted their high school, whereas the elder son Adam is enrolled into international developement and the younger is busy on building his career as a writer. As a five-year-old, George Alagiah emigrated with his family to Ghana - the first African country to attain independence from the British Empire. Having said that, we light candles in churches when we go in occasionally, around Christmas. Then a nurse disconnects it. Later, he started working as BBCs leading foreign correspondents, presenting on events and later joined as newsreader and presenter. I think I am an emotional man. For more updates and current gossip of celebs visit our official page. He says: 'It is near my L5 lowest vertebra. His public profile made it inevitable, when he shared his cancer diagnosis in 2014, that there were approaches from charities wanting to involve him. There were 28 of us. Two sisters live in Britain, another in Switzerland and one in Florida. Jamie Phillips For Mailonline I was so privileged to have had the chance to talk to her.. We werent poor people, by the way, but it is just the way things were in Sri Lanka in the 1950s. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. The BBC News at Six broadcaster, 66, was diagnosed with bowel . [8] Before becoming a presenter, he was Developing World correspondent, based in London, and then Southern Africa correspondent in Johannesburg. BBC newsreader George Alagiah has said he thinks the cancer he has had since 2014 will "probably get me in the end", but that he still feels "very lucky". Moreover, he was sabbatical officer of Durham Students' Union. Ive not had the anger but it takes quite a lot anyway to get me angry. There is a Tamil proverb where a father waits for the day when he walks into a room and people say: this is So-and-So's father. What financial arrangements? After global riots in 2007 and 2008, George Alagiah travelled the world to reveal why we could be heading for . Im hoping its a long time from now, but Im very lucky.. 'By the time I walk out of that newsroom at seven oclock in the evening, having been there since the morning, I am absolutely knackered physically, but mentally I am rejuvenated. When asked what piece of wisdom he would give, he spoke about the need for people to think more collectively. And my second sister married in a registry office. My sons Adam and Matthew, who are 23 and 19, are amazing guys. They might have worried that their brother was a bit girly: I don't know if I should admit this but I used to sew clothes for their Barbie dolls. George Alagiah captures the essence of the emerging global village. Speaking on the podcast Desperately Seeking Wisdom he said that when his cancer was first diagnosed, it took a while for him to understand what he "needed to do". Adam is four years elder than his younger brother Matthew as he has now reached the age of 34, while Matthew is still 30 as of 2022. George Alagiah: I'm lucky for the life I've had, but cancer will probably get me in the end The BBC newsreader, 66, says he has resolved to enjoy the present moment By Victoria Ward 3 January. In 2020, though, the Sri-Lankan born newsreader revealed it had spread to his lungs. He has won numerous awards including Best International Report at the Royal Television Society in 1993 and in 1994 was the overall winner of the Amnesty International UK Media Awards. He has lost count of the number of rounds, more than a hundred not the 17 sometimes mentioned in reports, he points out, making a plea for old-fashioned accuracy in journalism. You can't do that in a terraced house. "There's this collective notion of life which I think we have lost. George Alagiah said his life and family "didn't feel like a failure" BBC newsreader George Alagiah has said he thinks the cancer he has had since 2014 will "probably get me in the end", but that . Last thing, I ask myself, Georgie, are you going to be around tomorrow? And I always say, yes I am. Amid the economic collapse, there is a widespread sense of how did this happen. Alagiah has an estimated net worth of between $1 million -$5 million. Since 2010 he has been the host and presenter on GMT. ), He has asked for our interview to be on Zoom. Taking a job at South magazine informed how I report on international affairs to this day. Image: George with his wife and two sons. A PASSAGE TO AFRICA is Alagiah's shattering. Alagiah has been married to wife Frances, a former executive with the Fairtrade Foundation charity, for more than 30 years after the couple, who have two sons in their thirties, met at. 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. Adam Alagiah was born in the year 1987 and is now 34 years old. George Alagiah: It took me a long time to feel comfortable in my Britishness. George Alagiah is a British newsreader and journalist who joined the BBC in 1989, working as a reporter and correspondent. His doctors agreed for a second dose of radiotherapy on the tumour near his back, deciding that the potential gains outweighed the risk of side effects. 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. The journalist and Sheridan Smith are among those who have. We would end the day by sitting around saying the rosary. 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. The latest breaking news, comment and features from The Independent. Now, though, it is lasting longer, so I may go into the studio [he is due to broadcast on the two days following our interview] with the issues with the ulcers., There are some days, he confides, when he wakes up feeling s---. "I had to stop and say, 'Hang on a minute. I see the injustice of whats happening in the US with the death of George Floyd. George has a grandaughter but we have no details about her Find Out His Bowl Cancer Update If I were their age, I'd like to be their friend. George Alagiah's Controversy & Recent News George grew up alongside his four siblings Mari, Christine, Rachel, and Jennifer. He learned to bake cakes for the grandchildren and was really sweet with her. Poor leadership is definitely part of it., His father started working as an engineer in Ghana. 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. To be fair, Alagiah, 66, has offered the occasional update on his health over the past eight and a half years. GEORGE ALAGIAH is a recognisable newsreader and television presenter.