Christiane Amanpour Shares Sad News About Her Health
CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour, who is considered one of the most accomplished journalists of the last few decades by many, saddened viewers worldwide during a June 14 episode of her CNN show. As CNN reported shortly after, the 63-year-old Iranian-British journalist, former war correspondent, and Peabody Award winner has been undergoing treatment for ovarian cancer for the past four weeks — time in which she has been "off the air," per CNN, from the news network, and from her own show.
That said, in true journalist fashion, Amanpour was quick to be bravely open about not only her diagnosis but how the treatment is going and how fortunate she feels. From her home in London, the anchor shared that ovarian cancer affects "millions of women around the world," per CNN, and that she's "fortunate to have health insurance through work and incredible doctors who are treating me in a country underpinned by, of course, the brilliant NHS," or the National Health Service in the U.K.
So what is the noted news anchor's current condition? And what did the iconic anchor have to say about her future plans? Keep on reading below to find out about Christiane Amanpour's health status.
Christiane Amanpour bravely shared her ovarian cancer diagnosis
As CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour announced on June 14 at the beginning of her show broadcast — which she filmed from her city of residence; London – she had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. "I've had successful major surgery to remove it, and I'm now undergoing several months of chemotherapy for the very best possible long-term prognosis, and I'm confident," Amanpour said at the top of her show. "I'm telling you this in the interest of transparency but in truth really mostly as a shoutout to early diagnosis." She added she wanted to "urge women to educate themselves on this disease; to get all the regular screenings and scans that you can; to always listen to your bodies; and of course to ensure that your legitimate medical concerns are not dismissed or diminished."
CNN's Bianna Golodryga, who sat in as the anchor of the show for the past four weeks, was quick to share a message on Twitter. "you're not only one of the best journalists in the business, you're also one of the toughest," she wrote alongside Amanpour's on-air video, which Amanpour shared and captioned, "Some personal news from me."
Christiane Amanpour's colleagues sent well wishes
Christiane Amanpour is an integral part of CNN's on-screen talent. She started her career at the network in 1983 and became an international correspondent in 1990, per the Boston Globe. When she disclosed her battle with ovarian cancer, the network's president Jeff Zucker issued a statement of support, saying, per CNN, "I want to applaud Christiane Amanpour for her candor, bravery and always working towards the greater good."
"As a cancer survivor, I too encourage people to listen to their bodies and get all early cancer screenings available to them. From our CNN family, we wish Christiane the very best for a full and speedy recovery." Zucker had colon cancer twice in his early 30s, per New York Magazine.
Supporters offered well wishes on Twitter as well. One Twitter user wrote, "When I was younger I used to want to be a journalist. Christiane Amanpour was one of the many inspirations for that dream. Praying for your fully recovery," while another Twitter user wrote, "CNN'S Christiane Amanpour has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
The 'Margaret Thatcher' of primetime TV. Wishing her a quick recovery." CNN's Omar Jimenez tweeted, "Truly the best of the best and an inspiration. We have no doubt you'll continue that legacy into your recovery. We're all rooting for you @camanpour!"
What are the next steps for Christiane Amanpour?
Christiane Amanpour will have months of chemotherapy treatment ahead of her. Her current plan is to anchor her show on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesday as she goes through cancer treatment, per CNN. She also has three weeks of time off that she scheduled before her diagnosis that starts at the end of June.
As mentioned, Amanpour joined CNN in 1983 shortly after graduating from the University of Rhode Island and just three years after the Atlanta-based news network debuted. She covered the war between Iran and Iraq for the network. However, it wad Amanpour's masterful coverage of the fall of the Soviet Union and the first Gulf War that was integral to elevating CNN to a global authority in news, per the Hollywood Reporter.
Amanpour briefly left CNN in 2010 to become the anchor of ABC's "This Week." She returned to CNN in 2012. In late 2017, after Charlie Rose was fired on the grounds of allegations of sexual misconduct, PBS started running her show in his place. Amanpour continues to be the international anchor for CNN, per Deadline.