By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Alagiah earns an average annual salary of between 325,000-329,999 at BBC. And they would store up treats for us. GEORGE ALAGIAH is a recognisable newsreader and television presenter. It is near my L5 lowest vertebra. 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. George grew up alongside his four siblings Mari, Christine, Rachel, and Jennifer. [18], On 17 April 2014, it was announced that Alagiah was being treated for colorectal cancer. George Alagiah is a British journalist, newsreader, and television news presenter. It's growing very slowly," he said on the podcast Desperately Seeking Wisdom. 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 dont know if that is too much information., Even though he is on a low dose, he explains, he has ulcers in his mouth. Last thing, I ask myself, Georgie, are you going to be around tomorrow? And I always say, yes I am. Well, the couple has been together for almost 33 years with no divorce rumors and affairs. [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. Furthermore, during the COVID-19 pandemic in mid-March 2020, Alagiah tested positive for COVID-19 and exhibited mild symptoms. Apart from Frances, my wife, my sisters are my closest friends. - last year just 49% of pupils on the programme were Pupil Premium eligible. And what a wonderful village this can be, if only all of us global citizens realise the positive energy this can unleash. Its really tough there now, he says, on the basis of regular conversations with cousins still in Sri Lanka. Is one of the BBC team collecting a BAFTA award for the coverage of the Kosovo conflict. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. On my wife's side, somebody asked my father-in-law, who was a country lawyer: "Is this Ala-whatsit educated?". George Alagiah was born Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 22 November 1955 - that makes him 65. . My granddaughter's birth was a spiritual experience. Alagiah now uses breathing techniques to calm himself and help deal with the pain caused by the tumour. Today Id call what I experienced racism, but back then I didnt have that language. 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. The duo tied the knot in 1984 and they have two sons, Adam Alagiah and Matthew Alagiah. In 2010, he received the Outstanding Achievement in Television award at the Asian Awards. Ive had an amazing gift of a life for a man who was born into a house without a proper toilet. Jamie Phillips For Mailonline His has been, he says, a blessed life. The BBC newsreader, 66, underwent 17 rounds of chemotherapy after he was first diagnosed with stage-four bowel cancer in 2014. [10][11] Complaints were received at the BBC from members of the public who were unhappy that Alagiah had been asked to step down. BBC News star George Alagiah will be taking a break from screens Credit: BBC The 66-year-old was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer in 2014 and stepped back from broadcasting in October last. She even waited until my birthday to arrive. ", 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. [20] In late October 2015 he announced on Twitter that the treatment was officially over, and he returned to the BBC on 10 November. And my sisters went to one in Littlehampton. BBC News BBC presenter George Alagiah will be taking a break from TV after discovering his cancer has spread further, his agent has said. Amid the economic collapse, there is a widespread sense of how did this happen. 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. In the 2008 New Year Honours, Alagiah was named Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). He last appeared on the programme in 2014. Born in 1955, we will celebrate his 66th birthday on 22 November 2021. George, a specialist on Africa and the developing world, has conducted interviews with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, and Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, among others. The BBC newsreader was first diagnosed with the disease several . 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---. Although the familys former home had been demolished, he recognized an old well where he had played with his sisters, despite the fact that the well had been ruined. It is invented by nature to get you through anything. He draws a comparison with tight spots he got into in his award-winning career as a BBC foreign correspondent. "He is grateful for all the good wishes he has received thus far and is optimistic for a positive outcome.". While he was on a trip to South Sudan in March 2014 he spotted some blood in his stools he felt easy; anyway, he visited his GP in case. 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. , updated Donald and Therese, both of his parents, were Sri Lankan Tamil, and was the only son in a family with four sisters. Both of their sons, Adam and Matthews are adults. He was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer- the most advanced stage, where cancer, has spread from its original site. 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. 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. Disappointing stats on NTP uncovered by. It was a great relief, however, that the cancer was operable with a devastating twist. Usually by about a week later it is beginning to be better. George Alagiah married Robathan the high school sweetheart in the year 1984. He is the third born. I definitely remember thinking that I didnt want to be defined by my disease., Now he realises that he has something to contribute. . He was formerly a relief presenter on BBC News at Ten, presenting mainly Monday to Thursday when main presenters Huw Edwards and Fiona Bruce were unavailable. But I cannot wait until they're the ones driving the car and I'm the one snoozing in the back. What financial arrangements? The journalist, 66, returned to the BBC's News at Six in April. Dame Deborah death prompts more bowel checks, Cancer will probably get me, says George Alagiah, Alagiah takes break from TV for cancer treatment, BBC's Alagiah on living with coronavirus and cancer, Street fighting in Bakhmut but Russia not in control, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims. In the aftermath of the Asian tsunami in 2004, George returned to his grandfathers original home in Sri Lanka to assess the damage. Please review our, You need to be a subscriber to join the conversation. The 66-year-old newsreader, who was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2014, announced he was taking a break from his presenting duties in October last year. Aged 11, I got sent to a Catholic boarding school in Portsmouth. George spent his childhood in Colombo and belongs to Srilankan-British nationality. To have ended up where I am now: what is not to be grateful for?. He covered everything from the Rwandan genocide to the hardship of the Marsh Arabs in southern Iraq to the civil wars in Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Somalia as one of the BBCs top international correspondents. But Ive got amazing colleagues at the BBC who step in to my place on the rota.. Not every day., For the only time in our conversation, he turns away. The couple tied the knot in the year 1984 and they have happily lived together to date. 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 . [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. Ive spent a lot of the last 18 months in extreme pain. George Alagiah reflects on cancer journey alongside Sheridan Smith. He adds that there are days where he wakes up 'feeling like s**t' and can have a 'energy collapse'. 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). [4] His parents, Donald Alagiah, an engineer, and Therese, were Sri Lankan Tamil. Four sisters are his. View our online Press Pack. 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. Today we are discussing about George Alagiah from Sri Lanka, who is one of the prominent journalist of BBC. 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 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. '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. 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.