CNN’s chief international anchor, Christiane Amanpour, has announced she will leave the network next year, bringing an end to more than four decades with the global broadcaster.
“After many months of thought and a few sleepless nights, I have decided to separate from CNN, my partner of 43 fantastic years!” Amanpour said in a statement on Monday.
The 68-year-old journalist said she looked forward to pursuing new projects while continuing to support CNN and its tradition of independent journalism.
“Remember: always be truthful, not neutral,” she added.
CNN chairman and chief executive Mark Thompson described Amanpour as “one of the most trusted and beloved journalists anywhere”, saying the network would take time to celebrate her contributions before her departure.
In a memo to staff, Thompson said he and Amanpour had been discussing her decision for several months, thanking her for “43 extraordinary years of remarkable journalism, loyalty and friendship”.
Amanpour joined CNN in 1983 as an assistant on the international news desk before rising to become one of the network’s best-known correspondents, reporting from major conflict zones around the world.
Reflecting on her career, she recalled her first major assignment covering the First Gulf War, followed by reporting on the Bosnian War, Rwanda, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Iran and other global events.
“It’s the teams and the camaraderie that counted so much,” she said, praising the colleagues and field crews who worked alongside her to gather facts and report on events around the world.
She added that they had worked together to ensure CNN could “broadcast the truth about the world and to the world, without fear nor favour”.
Amanpour has presented her own interview programme on CNN International since 2009, interviewing world leaders, political figures and other influential personalities. Her departure marks the end of a career closely associated with the network’s international reporting.
Amanpour will end her daily broadcasts on CNN and PBS at the end of December 2026, with her CNN programme transitioning to a weekly format in early 2027 before concluding in May. She is expected to leave CNN officially in June 2027, bringing her nightly interview programme, Amanpour, on CNN International to an end, alongside her PBS show, Amanpour & Company. She will, however, continue hosting her podcast, The Ex Files, with her former husband, Jamie Rubin, while pursuing new projects.
