George Alagiah: BBC News at Six Presenter and Veteran Foreign Correspond

George Alagiah was a British journalist, newsreader and author, best known as the longtime presenter of the BBC's News at Six. Born George Maxwell Alagiah on November 22, 1955, in Colombo, then Ceylon, he grew up in Ghana and England and became one of the most trusted faces in British broadcasting.

Alagiah joined the BBC in 1989 and made his name as a foreign correspondent, reporting on conflicts and humanitarian crises in Africa and the Balkans. He won a Royal Television Society award for his international reporting in 1993 and was part of the BBC team that won a BAFTA for its Kosovo coverage in 2000. He became the main presenter of BBC News at Six in 2003 and its sole presenter from December 2007, and was appointed OBE in 2008.

Alagiah married Frances Robathan in 1984, and they had two sons, Adam and Matthew. He was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2014 and spoke openly about it while continuing to work until 2022. He died in London on July 24, 2023, at age 67. Remembered for his kindness and calm authority, he was widely loved.

Achievements: Won a Royal Television Society award for international reporting (1993), part of the BBC's BAFTA-winning Kosovo team (2000), main presenter of BBC News at Six (2003-2022), appointed OBE (2008).

Birth: November 22, 1955 - Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka).

Profession: Journalist, newsreader and author.

Interesting Facts: His family moved to Ghana in 1961, where he attended primary school. In 2009 the BBC asked him to step down as a patron of the Fairtrade Foundation to protect its impartiality.