BBC newsreader George Alagiah has announced he is taking a break from presenting the News At Six in order to undergo more cancer treatment. Alagiah, 66, said a scan showed his cancer had spread.
He said: “A recent scan showed that my cancer has spread further so it’s back to some tough stuff. I’m missing my colleagues.
“Working in the newsroom has been such an important part of keeping energised and motivated. I look forward to being back in that studio as soon as I can.”
Alagiah was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer in 2014 and announced he was stepping back from his broadcasting work in October last year. He returned to BBC News At Six in April.
The news was confirmed by his agent Mary Greenham. Sri Lanka-born Alagiah underwent 17 rounds of chemotherapy to treat his advanced bowel cancer in 2014.
He returned to presenting in 2015 after making progress against the disease, and said he was a “richer person” for it. His cancer returned in December 2017 and he underwent further treatment before again returning to work.
In 2020, he tested positive for coronavirus after deciding to stop appearing in the studio during the outbreak. This followed advice from doctors and colleagues.
