Christiane Amanpour, CNN’s chief international anchor and one of the world’s best-known foreign correspondents, has announced plans to leave the network in June next year after 43 years.
The 68-year-old journalist said on Monday that she would begin scaling back her schedule at the end of this year before leaving the network at the end of June 2027.
In a statement, Amanpour described CNN as her “partner of 43 fantastic years” and said the decision followed “many months of thought and a few sleepless nights.”
She said she looked forward to pursuing “interesting new projects down the line” while continuing to support CNN and its independent journalism.
As part of the transition, her daily programme on CNN International will become a weekly show in early 2027 before ending in May. She will also conclude her PBS programme, Amanpour & Company, by the end of this year.
CNN Chief Executive Officer Mark Thompson announced her departure in a memo to staff, praising her “43 extraordinary years of remarkable journalism, loyalty and friendship.”
Amanpour joined CNN in 1983 as a news desk assistant at the network’s Atlanta bureau before rising to become one of its most prominent international correspondents. She gained widespread international recognition for her coverage of the 1991 Gulf War.
Her announcement comes amid a major corporate development involving CNN’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, following the closure of its acquisition deal with Skydance Paramount earlier this month.
Amanpour has not publicly explained her reasons for leaving and did not mention the acquisition in her statement. However, she reaffirmed her commitment to remaining “fiercely independent.”
