Christiane Amanpour announces she’s leaving CNN after 43 years

Christiane Amanpour leaves CNN after 43 years

The full report

Christiane Amanpour, CNN's chief international anchor, has announced she will leave the network after 43 years. Amanpour, 68, made the decision to 'separate' from CNN after 'many months of thought and a few sleepless nights'.

She began working for CNN in 1983 as an assistant on the international news desk and went on to become one of the network's best-known correspondents, often reporting on conflicts and wars. Amanpour has presented her own nightly interview program on CNN International since 2009.

Amanpour's decision comes at a notable time for the network, which is now part of a larger media conglomerate called Skydance that is run by David Ellison, with heavy backing from Larry Ellison, his Trump-donor father and Oracle co-founder. However, her exit is not thought to be specifically tied to the network's new ownership.

In her statement, Amanpour seemed to nod to concerns about the network's future, saying that she 'will always be rooting for CNN and maintaining its history of independent journalism'. She expanded on that commitment to independence in a taped message to viewers of her CNN International show, saying that she 'will continue to be fiercely independent, and I will continue to be that for you for as long as I am here and beyond'.

Amanpour will continue hosting her podcast, The Ex Files, and said she '[looks] forward to interesting new projects down the line'. She also hosts a show for PBS, Amanpour and Company, that will conclude at the end of this year. Amanpour has been open about her ongoing treatment for ovarian cancer, which she was diagnosed with in 2021.