BBC newsreader George Alagiah has said he feels 'lucky' for the life he has lived even though cancer will 'probably get me in the end'. I respect the gentleness with which my dad nursed my mother before she died in 1996. Then they said Catholics. Since 3 December 2007, he has been the sole presenter of the Six O'Clock News. Newsreader George Alagiah is to take a break from his presenting duties at the BBC as he deals with 'a further spread of cancer', his agent said today.. 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. He was first diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer in. Alagiah says he told her to inform her family immediately, but instead she stopped and spoke to him for half an hour. He is one of the famous journalist for BBC, where Carol Kirkwood also serves as a journalist. During an interview with The Sunday Times in 2018, George said that his cancer was curable and could be discovered earlier. [16], He is married to Frances Robathan, whom he met at Durham University. Read about our approach to external linking. A Passage To Africa - George Alagiah - Google Books Alagiah earned a degree in political science from Durham University. In 2004, he turned to his grandfather's original home in Sri Lanka in the aftermath of the Asian tsunami to survey the damage. 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. Dont miss to subscribe to our new feeds, kindly fill the form below. On 28th June, Alagiah announced on his Twitter account that he was making "encouraging progress". George Alagiah has shared his belief his diet may have something to do with him first being diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2014. I've got the cancer still. Right now, when there is an unpredictability about my treatment, I would definitely call them not dark moments but difficult moments, when it is harder to reach that position of contentment which is where I am most of the time. The most painful thoughts are those about his family. 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. After global riots in 2007 and 2008, George Alagiah travelled the world to reveal why we could be heading for . He is on the Board of the Royal Shakespeare Company. 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. 1961, George's parents shifted to Ghana, West Africa, where Alagiah joined Christ the King international School. George Alagiah: 'It took me a long time to feel comfortable in my [5] He lives in Stoke Newington, North London. The back pain is currently not so bad as it has been. "He is grateful for all the good wishes he has received thus far and is optimistic for a positive outcome.". In addition, George celebrates his birthday on the 22nd of November every year and his zodiac sign is Sagittarius. The taxi pulled out into a late monsoon downpour, its windscreen wipers feebly slapping at the sheet of water. Find out more, George Alagiah: You cant get a cancer diagnosis without knowing about Macmillan because they are everywhere, George presenting from Cairo during the Egyptian revolution, George was a familiar sight on our screens as a BBC newsreader, Project Fear authors discussed when to deploy new Covid variant, Matt Hancock's plan to frighten the pants off everyone about Covid, Rishi Sunak has questions to answer on the true nature of his Protocol deal, The dreadful consequences of Matt Hancock's lockdown scare tactics, Rishi Sunak's Brexit deal is more threadbare than reckless Tories will admit, Trump gets rapturous reception at major US Republican conference, knowing about Macmillan because they are everywhere. 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. 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. If they all knew what I thought on every topic we report on, wed lose some of them. He is the third of five children her sisters being: Mari, Rachel, Christine and Jennifer. The thing about bowel cancer is, it is all about poo and bums and people dont like talking about them. Since 3 July 2006, he has presented World News Today on BBC World News and BBC Two, which was rebranded GMT on 1 February 2010. Reports on why affirmative action in America is a Lost Cause for the Assignment program, Saddam Husseins genocidal campaign against the Kurds of northern Iraq for the BBCs Newsnight program, and a report on the last reunion of Dunkirk veterans are among Alagiahs other documentaries and features. [citation needed], Alagiah joined the BBC in 1989 after seven years in print journalism with South Magazine. Frances has never bothered about her kids as they love to follow in their father's footsteps. Recalling the. BBC's George Alagiah 'absolutely knackered' after presenting news while 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. Through my work I've seen the world at its worst and I often wish I could make it better. I am absolutely convinced that those things that keep you content and in the present and not thinking tomorrow the pain is going to be worse, are not just useful but are proven to work. Carrying on working is a part of that, he says, just as lying on the lawn or a beach with my granddaughters [he has three, to whom he is devoted] is also a part of that., He seems to be saying that cancer has changed him, and not always in bad ways. Born in 1955, we will celebrate his 66th birthday on 22 November 2021. . A PASSAGE TO AFRICA is Alagiah's shattering. BBC newsreader George Alagiah to take a break from presenting 'due to He said in June 2020 that the cancer had spread to his lungs, liver and lymph nodes. Its has been decades, George has been working for BBC, and no doubt he gets paid in huge numbers. But I have discomfort all the way from my mouth to my bum. It was a great relief, however, that the cancer was operable with a devastating twist. Sleep deprivation was an issue, but I dont want people to think I am feeling sorry for myself.. He also states that she was waiting until the arrival of his birthday. Alagiah is 66 years old as of 2021. George Alagiah has confirmed he'll be back on BBC News tonight following months of cancer treatment. As a BBC presenter, he earned 315,000 319,999 in 2018-2019. It is near my L5 lowest vertebra. George Alagiah health: 'It will get me in the end' - newsreader on Despite the fact that the family's previous residence . Furthermore, during the COVID-19 pandemic in mid-March 2020, Alagiah tested positive for COVID-19 and exhibited mild symptoms. George Alagiah: Cancer will probably get me in the end On my wife's side, somebody asked my father-in-law, who was a country lawyer: "Is this Ala-whatsit educated?". George Alagiah and Frances Robathan have two children - Adam, 34, and Matthew, 30. ", 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. BBC newsreader George Alagiah to 'take break' as cancer spreads (Image: BBC) "And actually, when I look back at my journeythe family I had, the opportunities my family had, the great good . George Alagiah Married, Wife, Children, Affairs & Net worth He is married to Frances Robathan, with whom he has two sons. There have been times when even lying down makes it worse.'. His wider family had a reunion recently, all four sisters, most of my nieces and nephews. George Alagiah was born Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 22 November 1955 - that makes him 65. . Both are sons, Adam Alagiah (23 years old) and Matthew Alagiah (19 years old). Thats the one we are watching. The word significant is typically measured in the circumstances. There is no stage five. On 28 June, Alagiah announced on Twitter that he was making "encouraging progress". But he said he was able to look back at the "great good fortune" in his life. Call it habit, call it superstition. 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. Family of US . Going into the newsroom doesnt kill any cancer cells, thats for sure. 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. . Before I reached the front door the building took a direct hit. Our marriage was a shock to him but, to his credit, he replied, "That boy is more educated than you and I will ever be.". [6] He has four sisters. Having spent 14 years delivering the nation the latest headlines, most recently, Alagiah has made headlines himself after he . [14], In 2020, his debut novel The Burning Land was shortlisted for a Society of Authors' award. Image: George with his wife and two sons. We werent poor people, by the way, but it is just the way things were in Sri Lanka in the 1950s. '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. The BBC newsreader, 66, underwent 17 rounds of chemotherapy after he was first diagnosed with stage-four bowel cancer in 2014. George Maxwell Alagiah OBE is a British newsreader, journalist, and television news presenter. Taking a job at South magazine informed how I report on international affairs to this day. George Alagiah BBC News, Bio, Wiki, Age, Height, Wife, Illness, Salary If there are ill-effects of his ongoing treatment that he is trying to keep private by opting for online, then he isnt making a very good job of it. ", "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 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. When asked what piece of wisdom he would give, he spoke about the need for people to think more collectively. Who is George Alagiah and what type of cancer does he have? - The Sun 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. George Alagiah will be taking a break from presenting duties as he deals with "a further spread of cancer", his agent has said. But there is uncertainty, he says, over whether it may have to change. George's Photo George Alagiah Wife Who Is Adam Alagiah And Matthew Alagiah? George Alagiah Children /Sons In 2010, he received the Outstanding Achievement in Television award at the Asian Awards. George Alagiah not thinking about death as cancer spreads - Yahoo! The Burning Land by George Alagiah is out now (8.36, guardianbookshop.com), Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. With friends, family and colleagues Ive shared experiences and thoughts that we otherwise wouldnt have had. George Alagiah taking a break from BBC News At Six after his bowel And if you, or someone you know, have been affected by cancer, information and support is available on the BBC's Action Line page. It's growing very slowly," he said on the podcast Desperately Seeking Wisdom. View our online Press Pack. 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. 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?'. George Alagiah, Age, Height, Weight, Family, Net Worth, Salary, - WikiIntel VideoRussian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims, 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. The 64-year-old BBC News At Six presenter is undergoing further treatment after doctors found cancer had now spread from his bowel to his liver, lymph nodes and lungs. Video, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims, Harry: I feared losing memories of mum during therapy, US-made cheese can be called 'gruyere' - court, AOC under investigation for Met Gala dress, The children left behind in Cuba's exodus, Alex Murdaugh's legal troubles are far from over, Walkie Talkie architect Rafael Violy dies aged 78, Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Sizemore dies at 61. George Alagiah steps back from presenting BBC News at Six after scans Understanding sadness, he reflects, helps you understand joy. The broadcaster, 64, on racism, impartiality and surviving cancer. George Alagiah announces BBC News At Six return after 'months of The cancer returned in 2017 and he underwent further treatment before again returning to work. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? Adam Alagiah-Glomseth (@AdamAlagiah) / Twitter We are first generation immigrants from India. George Alagiah: It took me a long time to feel comfortable in my Britishness. 2023 BBC. 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. BBC News' George Alagiah reflects on cancer journey - Metro 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. 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. [17] The couple have two children, Adam and Matthew. George Alagiah has revealed he has a 'tumour site' at the base of his back and has spent 18 months in 'extreme pain' - as he opens up on an eight-year battle with bowel cancer. When talking about being recognised as a celebrity, George said his sons keep him down to earth. Having said that, we light candles in churches when we go in occasionally, around Christmas. He also spoke about his treatment, saying: "My doctor's very good at every now and again hitting me with a big red bus full of drugs, because the whole point about cancer is it finds a way through and it gets you in the end. Born in Sri Lanka, Alagiah's parents left for west Africa when he was a young child. George Alagiah forced to take break from BBC News At Six after cancer I call it getting comfort. Thats the one we are watching.'. George at home with his wife Frances in North London, Source: Daily Mail [7] George Alagiah Biography - Childhood, Life Achievements & Timeline There he began attending 'Christ the King International', a primary school. [5] In 1961, his parents moved to Ghana in West Africa, where he had his primary education at Christ the King International School. The couple exchanged their vows in1984 and have two children. [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].