Christiane Amanpour to exit CNN after 43 years

'After many months of thought and a few sleepless nights, I have decided to separate from CNN, my partner of 43 fantastic years!' Amanpour says in a statement to USA TODAY

Christiane Amanpour will leave CNN in June 2027 after more than four decades with the network.

CNN announced the departure of its network’s chief international anchor, 68, on Monday, October 19.

“After many months of thought and a few sleepless nights, I have decided to separate from CNN, my partner of 43 fantastic years!” she said in a statement to USA TODAY.

Her daily CNN and PBS shows will end in December. She will continue a weekly CNN show through May 2027 and work on the transition through June.

“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, as we together battled to seek the facts, the evidence and the humanity, so that CNN could always broadcast the truth about the world and to the world, without fear nor favor,” Amanpour said in her statement.

Amanpour thanked her “amazingly talented” colleagues and field crews, reflecting on the “incredible journey” she experienced during her career at CNN.

She plans to continue The Ex Files, her podcast with ex-husband Jamie Rubin, produced by Global, and said she looks forward to “interesting new projects down the line.”

“Remember: always be truthful, not neutral,” she concluded her statement.

Her namesake interview program began on CNN International in 2009, according to CNN. She had already scaled back her hosting schedule in January 2025, appearing on air a few days a week. The network also announced that starting January 2027 she will only host her program once a week until May.

CNN chairman Mark Thompson told staff he had discussed the decision with Amanpour for months and accepted that the timing was right for her personally and professionally, according to the network.

“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,” he wrote in the memo sent out to CNN staff Monday morning.

Christiane Amanpour cancer: CNN correspondent has spoken publicly about ovarian cancer

Amanpour revealed she had ovarian cancer in June 2021⁠. She shared her diagnosis during her CNN International program Amanpour.

“Like millions of women around the world, I’ve been diagnosed with ovarian cancer,” Amanpour said during the program. “I’ve had successful major surgery to remove it and I’m now undergoing several months of chemotherapy for the very best possible long-term prognosis and I’m confident.”

Ovarian cancer develops when abnormal cells in or near the ovaries multiply uncontrollably and can spread elsewhere in the body, according to Mayo Clinic. It may not cause noticeable symptoms at first, but possible signs include bloating, pelvic discomfort and feeling full quickly when eating.

In October 2025, she revealed that her ovarian cancer was back during an appearance on the Changing the Ovarian Cancer Story podcast.

“I have it again, but it’s being very well-managed, and this is one of the whole things that people have to understand about some cancers,” Amanpour told host Hannah Vaughan Jones.

Amanpour did not cite her health as a reason for her CNN departure in her statement.

CNN gets new owner after Warner Bros., Paramount merger

Amanpour’s announcement comes less than two weeks after Paramount Skydance completed its $110 billion acquisition of CNN’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, on October 6.

The combined company, called Skydance, is controlled by David Ellison and brings CNN and CBS News under the same ownership. Ellison said CNN chairman Mark Thompson would remain and pledged to establish an independent oversight board to protect the network from political interference. – Rappler.com

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