BBC newsreader George Alagiah has died at the age of 67, it has been announced.
The journalist and presenter died on Monday, the BBC said.
He had been diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2014.
In a statement, 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 first joined the BBC as a foreign affairs correspondent in 1989, and won accolades for his reports on the famine and war in Somalia in the early 1990s, and was nominated for a Bafta in 1994 for covering Saddam Hussein’s genocidal campaign against the Kurds of northern Iraq.
He was also named Amnesty International’s journalist of the year in 1994 for reporting on the civil war in Burundi and also won the Broadcasting Press Guild’s award for television journalist of the year.
Since 2003, George had been the regular presenter of BBC News at Six, as well as hosting News at One and News at Six.
George, who was appointed an OBE for services to journalism in 2008, underwent 17 rounds of chemotherapy to treat his advanced bowel cancer after he was first diagnosed in 2014.
He returned to presenting duties in 2015 after making progress against the disease, and said he was a “richer person” for it.
His cancer returned in December 2017, and the presenter underwent further treatment before once again returning to work.
Last October, he announced a break from his role on BBC News as he dealt with “a further spread” of the disease.
Following the news of George’s death, many of his BBC colleagues past and present and other figures from the journalism industry paid tribute on social media:
George is survived by his wife of 40 years, Frances Robathan, their two sons and three grandchildren.
