By Godwin Orozo,
Christiane Amanpour, CNN’s chief international anchor and one of the most recognisable faces in global broadcast journalism, has announced she will leave the network next year, closing a 43-year career that took her from an entry-level desk assistant to the frontlines of the world’s major conflicts.
The 68-year-old broke the news on Monday in a statement.
“After many months of thought and a few sleepless nights, I have decided to separate from CNN, my partner of 43 fantastic years!” she said.
She added: “I look forward to interesting new projects down the line, and will always be rooting for CNN and maintaining its history of independent journalism. Remember: always be truthful, not neutral.”
Under the transition plan, her flagship programme on CNN International will move to a weekly format from January 2027 and conclude in May. She will leave the network at the end of June.
Her PBS programme, “Amanpour & Co.,” will also end at the close of this year. However, she will continue to host her podcast, “The Ex Files,” with her ex-husband, Jamie Rubin.
CNN Chairman Mark Thompson, in a memo to staff, said he and Amanpour had been discussing the decision “for some months.”
“Like so many CNNers who will hear the news today, I’m very sorry to see her go, but I’ve come to accept that this is the right time for her, both personally and professionally,” Thompson wrote.
He described her as “one of the most trusted and beloved journalists anywhere” and thanked her for “43 extraordinary years of remarkable journalism, loyalty and friendship.”
Amanpour did not explicitly give a reason for her exit. The announcement, however, comes weeks after Paramount Skydance completed its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN’s parent company.
In a taped message to viewers, she appeared to allude to the changing media landscape.
“You know that I’ve always been fiercely independent, and I will continue to be that for you for as long as I am here and beyond,” she said. “That’s especially important today as we face unprecedented pressures from all sides—political, financial, and also from the rising dangers in the field.”
Amanpour joined CNN in 1983 as an assistant on the international news desk in Atlanta. She rose to prominence covering the 1991 Gulf War and went on to report from Bosnia, Rwanda, Afghanistan, Ukraine and Iran, among other conflict zones.
Reflecting on her career, she said the teams she worked with mattered most.
“From my very first big exciting assignment covering the First Gulf War, to the horrors of the Bosnian War, Rwanda, Afghanistan, Ukraine and Iran and all the points in between,” she said, “it’s the teams and the camaraderie that counted so much, as we together battled to seek the facts, the evidence and the humanity.”
