Veteran international journalist Christiane Amanpour will leave CNN next June, ending a relationship with the cable news network that spans more than four decades.
Amanpour, 68, announced her decision Monday, saying she had spent several months considering her future at the network, where she has covered some of the world’s most significant conflicts and interviewed political leaders from around the globe.
“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.
Her departure will be gradual: Beginning in January, her CNN International interview program, “Amanpour,” will move to a weekly schedule before ending in May. She will continue reporting from the field and traveling on assignment for the network through June.
Amanpour has hosted the program since 2009. She reduced her hosting responsibilities to several days a week in January 2025.
Her public television program, “Amanpour & Company,” which airs on PBS stations across the United States, will conclude in December. The program took over the time slot once occupied by “Charlie Rose” on many PBS member stations.
CNN Chairman Mark Thompson informed employees of the decision in a memo Monday morning, describing Amanpour as one of the world’s most respected journalists.
“Christiane has thought carefully about this decision, and she and I have been discussing it for some months,” Thompson wrote. “Like so many CNNers who will hear the news today, I’m very sorry to see her go, but I’ve come to accept that this is the right time for her, both personally and professionally.”
Amanpour joined CNN in the early 1980s and became one of the network’s most recognizable international correspondents through her reporting on the Persian Gulf War, the conflict in Bosnia and the genocide in Rwanda.
Her assignments have also taken her to Afghanistan, Iraq, Ukraine and Iran, among other countries.
In 2010, Amanpour temporarily left CNN to become the anchor of ABC News’ Sunday public affairs program “This Week,” succeeding George Stephanopoulos. She subsequently returned to CNN, where she continued reporting and hosting international news programming.
Amanpour has also spoken publicly about her treatment for ovarian cancer, which was first diagnosed in 2021. Last year, she disclosed that the cancer had returned and was being managed through immunotherapy. She did not attribute her decision to leave CNN to her health.
In her departure statement, Amanpour thanked the journalists and production employees who worked alongside her throughout her career.
“From my very first big exciting assignment covering the First Gulf War, to the horrors of the Bosnian War, Rwanda, Afghanistan, Ukraine and Iran and all the points in between, it’s the teams and the camaraderie that counted so much,” she said.
Amanpour said she intends to pursue other projects after leaving the network. She will continue producing “The Ex Files,” a podcast co-hosted with her former husband, Jamie Rubin, and produced by Global.
Thompson said the network will recognize Amanpour’s contributions in the months leading up to her departure.
Amanpour’s departure is the first planned resignation of a CNN reporter since the network became owned by Skydance earlier this month, following Paramount’s acquisition of CNN parent company Warner Bros Discovery.
Mark Thompson’s full memo to staff is below:
Dear all,
I’m writing today with news about a CNN icon – and our dear friend and colleague – Christiane Amanpour.
After more than 43 years at CNN, Christiane has decided that the time is right to begin a new chapter. Early in 2027, she will scale back her CNN International show, Amanpour, to once a week. The program will conclude in May, and she will leave CNN at the end of June.
Christiane has thought carefully about this decision, and she and I have been discussing it for some months. Like so many CNNers who will hear the news today, I’m very sorry to see her go, but I’ve come to accept that this is the right time for her, both personally and professionally.
Christiane has been a household name around the world for decades. Yet she began more than 40 years ago not as one of the biggest stars in CNN’s history, but as a news desk assistant in our Atlanta newsroom. Famously, one of her bosses told her back then that she didn’t have what it took to become a foreign correspondent – or to hold any on-air role at all. Boy, did she prove him wrong!
It would be impossible to list all of her reporting triumphs, exclusive interviews, awards and broadcasting firsts, or the many other accomplishments that have made her one of the most trusted and beloved journalists anywhere. We will make sure to share and celebrate them all before she departs next year.
In the meantime, on behalf of the entire CNN leadership team, I want to thank Christiane for 43 extraordinary years of remarkable journalism, loyalty and friendship.
– Mark
