BBC’s brave George Alagiah fights back in second cancer battle
VETERAN BBC News presenter George Alagiah is on the path to better health after being treated for cancer for the second time.
The 62-year-old journalist, who has anchored the News At Six for a decade, was first diagnosed with the disease in 2014 and appeared to have beaten it a year later.
However, in January it emerged that the cancer had returned and Alagiah went off-air for a second time in order to undergo treatment.
Yesterday, his agent Mary Greenham confirmed that he has responded well to the latest round of chemotherapy. ‘George’s medical team have said there has been a very good response to the treatment so far,’ she said.
‘He’s on a recovery break after three months of chemotherapy. He will be meeting his doctors in the next few weeks to decide what the next stage in his treatment should be.’
After initially being diagnosed with bowel cancer, Alagiah had several rounds of chemotherapy and three operations, including one to remove most of his liver.
Shortly before Christmas in 2015, he was given the all clear and was able to resume his position at the BBC.
However, he was forced off air again this year after the cancer recurred and he underwent a new round of treatment. When the disease reappeared, Alagiah spoke of his determination to fight it a second time.
‘ I always knew cancer could come back, but it is still tough dealing with disappointment. Harder for my family. I know what I have to do: stay calm, stay content, stay fit and let doctors do their best,’ he said at the time. ‘My brilliant doctors are determined to get me back to a disease-free state and I know they have the skill to do just that.’
Alagiah and his wife of more than 30 years, Frances Robathan, have two grown-up sons, Adam and Matthew.
It is not yet clear whether Alagiah will return to the News At Six — where Fiona Bruce, Sophie Raworth and a roster of other presenters have been holding the fort.
Before stepping aside, Alagiah was one of the bestknown, and best-paid, faces on the BBC, earning between £250,000 and £300,000-a-year.