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, during which time she has been off the air from the network and her show.
As CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour announced on June 14 at the beginning of her broadcast
— which she filmed from London, her city of residence – she had been diagnosed with
ovarian cancer. She told viewers that she had already gone through major surgery to
remove the cancer, and had begun several months of chemotherapy to improve her long-term prognosis.
She said she was confident in her future, appreciative of her doctors, and thankful
to have health insurance.
She also shared her reasons for telling the world about her experience with ovarian cancer.
"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 encourage viewers to educate themselves on the disease, listen
to their bodies, and get all the regular screenings and check-ups that they can.
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. She wrote to her esteemed coworker,
"You're not only one of the best journalists in the business, you're also one of the toughest.
Wishing you a speedy and healthy recovery in the weeks ahead. No doubt you’ll end
up on top. It’s been a privilege helping you and your extraordinary team."
Christiane Amanpour is an integral part of CNN's onscreen talent. She started her career
at the network in 1983 and became an international correspondent in 1990. 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.
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 [full] 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 [Christiane]!"
So what are the next steps for the renowned journalist? According to CNN, 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. 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. Her coverage of the fall of the
Soviet Union and the first Gulf War is considered to have been integral to elevating CNN to
a global authority in news.
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 after allegations of sexual
misconduct, PBS started running her show in his place. Amanpour continues to be the international
anchor for CNN. We wish her a successful treatment for her ovarian cancer.
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