George Alagiah facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
George Alagiah
|
|
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg)
Alagiah at the launch of the Hadrian's Wall Fairtrade Group, 2009
|
|
| Born |
George Maxwell Alagiah
22 November 1955 |
| Died | 24 July 2023 (aged 67) |
| Alma mater | Van Mildert College, University of Durham |
| Occupation | Journalist, News presenter, newsreader, author |
| Employer | BBC |
|
Notable credit(s)
|
BBC News at Six GMT (TV series) World News Today BBC News (TV channel) BBC World News |
| Spouse(s) |
Frances Robathan
(m. 1984) |
| Children | 2 |
George Maxwell Alagiah (born 22 November 1955 – died 24 July 2023) was a well-known British journalist and TV presenter. He was especially famous for presenting the BBC News at Six. He did this from 2007 until 2022. Before that, he also presented GMT on BBC World News.
Contents
George Alagiah's Early Life
George Maxwell Alagiah was born in Colombo, which was then called Ceylon. This is now known as Sri Lanka. His parents, Donald and Therese, were from Sri Lanka. In 1961, his family moved to Ghana in West Africa. He went to primary school there.
George had four sisters. Later, he went to a school in Portsmouth, England. After school, he studied politics at Durham University. While at university, he wrote for and became the editor of the student newspaper.
In 2004, George visited his grandfather's old home in Sri Lanka. This was after the big tsunami hit Asia. His family's old house was gone, but he found an old well where he used to play.
George Alagiah's Career in Broadcasting
George Alagiah started working for the BBC in 1989. Before that, he worked in print journalism for seven years. He first worked as a correspondent, reporting from different parts of the world. He was based in London and later in Johannesburg, Southern Africa.
As a top foreign correspondent for the BBC, he reported on many important events. These included the terrible events in Rwanda. He also covered civil wars in places like Afghanistan and Somalia.
Presenting News Programmes
George became a news presenter in 2002. He started with BBC Four News. Later, he joined the BBC Six O'Clock News in 2003. He presented this show with other journalists like Sophie Raworth and Natasha Kaplinsky. By 2007, he became the main presenter of the Six O'Clock News.
He also presented World News Today and GMT on BBC World News. He was also a fill-in presenter for the BBC News at Ten.
Important Interviews and Documentaries
George was an expert on Africa and developing countries. He interviewed many famous people. These included Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, and Kofi Annan. He also interviewed President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe.
He made documentaries too. He reported on Saddam Hussein's actions against the Kurds in Iraq. He also covered a reunion of veterans from Dunkirk.
George Alagiah's Personal Life
George Alagiah was married to Frances Robathan. They met when they were at Durham University. They had two sons named Adam and Matthew. The family lived in Stoke Newington, North London.
George Alagiah's Illness and Passing
In April 2014, it was announced that George was being treated for colorectal cancer. He shared that he was making good progress. In October 2015, he announced that his treatment was finished. He returned to work at the BBC.
However, in January 2018, the cancer returned. He had to have more treatment. In March 2018, he spoke about his illness. He continued to work when he could. In October 2022, George announced that his cancer had spread further. He took a break from television for new treatment.
George Alagiah passed away from his illness on 24 July 2023. He was 67 years old.
Awards and Interests
George Alagiah received many awards for his work. In 2000, he was part of the BBC team that won a BAFTA award. This was for their reporting on the Kosovo conflict. He also won Best International Report at the Royal Television Society in 1993. In 1994, he won the Amnesty International UK Media Awards.
He was also given an award called Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2008. This award recognized his important contributions.
George was interested in many things. He spoke at different literary festivals and societies. He was also on the Board of the Royal Shakespeare Company.
From 2002 to 2009, George supported the Fairtrade Foundation. This group helps farmers and workers get fair prices for their goods. He also supported microfinance, which helps small businesses. He became a patron of Parenting UK in 2000.
In 2010, he received an award for his amazing work in television at The Asian Awards. In 2020, his first novel, The Burning Land, was nominated for an award.
See also
In Spanish: George Alagiah para niños
