George Alagiah
British newsreader and journalist (1955–2023)
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Key Takeaways
- George Maxwell Alagiah ( ; 22 November 1955 – 24 July 2023) was a British newsreader, journalist and television presenter for the BBC.
- He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2008 New Year Honours.
- His parents, Donald Ratnarajah Alagiah (c.
- In 1961, his parents moved to Ghana in West Africa, where he had his primary education at Christ the King International School.
- His secondary education took place at St John's College, an independent Roman Catholic school in Portsmouth, England, after which he studied politics at Van Mildert College, Durham University.
George Maxwell Alagiah (; 22 November 1955 – 24 July 2023) was a British newsreader, journalist and television presenter for the BBC. From 2007 until 2022, he was the presenter of the BBC News at Six and the main presenter of GMT on BBC World News from its launch in 2010 until 2014. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2008 New Year Honours.
Early life and education
George Maxwell Alagiah was born in Colombo, Ceylon, on 22 November 1955. His parents, Donald Ratnarajah Alagiah (c. 1925–2013), a civil engineer, later a public health engineering consultant for the World Health Organization, and Therese Karunaiamma (née Santiapillai; died 1996), were Ceylon Tamils. In 1961, his parents moved to Ghana in West Africa, where he had his primary education at Christ the King International School. He had four sisters. His secondary education took place at St John's College, an independent Roman Catholic school in Portsmouth, England, after which he studied politics at Van Mildert College, Durham University. While at Durham, he wrote for and became editor of the student newspaper Palatinate and was a sabbatical officer of Durham Students' Union.
Early career
In the 1980s, after leaving university, he worked for South Magazine, becoming Africa Editor.
Alagiah returned to his grandfather's original home in Sri Lanka in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami to survey the damage. The family's former home had been destroyed, but he was able to recognise an old well where he had played with his sisters, although the well had become unsalvageable.
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