George Alagiah, one of the BBC’s longest-serving and most respected journalists, has died at 67, nine years after being diagnosed with cancer, BBC reports.
A statement from his agent said he “died peacefully today, surrounded by his family and loved ones”.
“George was deeply loved by everybody who knew him, whether it was a friend, a colleague or a member of the public.
“He simply was a wonderful human being. My thoughts are with Fran, the boys and his wider family,” she said.
George Alagiah died earlier on Monday, but “fought until the bitter end”, his agent added.
BBC director General Tim Davie said: “Across the BBC, we are all incredibly sad to hear the news about George. We are thinking of his family at this time.
“George was one of the best and bravest journalists of his generation who reported fearlessly from across the world as well as presenting the news flawlessly.
“He was more than just an outstanding journalist, audiences could sense his kindness, empathy and wonderful humanity. He was loved by all and we will miss him enormously.”
George Alagiah was a fixture on British TV news for more than three decades, presenting the BBC News at Six for the past 20 years.
Before that, he was an award-winning foreign correspondent, reporting from countries ranging from Rwanda to Iraq.
He was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer in 2014 and revealed in October 2022 that it had spread further.