Christiane Amanpour to leave CNN in 2027 after 43 years; daily show ends this December

Christiane Amanpour, CNN's chief international anchor, will leave the network in 2027 after 43 years, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters on Monday, 19 October, ARY News reported. The BBC also reported her departure.

The timeline

• End of 2026: her daily programmes on CNN and the US public broadcaster PBS end.
• Until May 2027: she hosts a weekly programme on CNN.
• Until June 2027: she works on the handover before leaving.

Her best-known programme is Amanpour, CNN International's global affairs interview show, carried in Pakistan on CNN International.

Four decades on the front line

The British-Iranian journalist made her name covering the 1990 to 1991 Gulf War from Baghdad and went on to report from Bosnia, Rwanda, Afghanistan, Iraq, Ukraine and Iran. Her work has centred on war, diplomacy and human rights, and she has won several News and Documentary Emmy awards and a lifetime achievement award from the International Women's Media Foundation.

A changing CNN

The announcement comes weeks after Skydance completed its $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, putting CNN and CBS News under the same owner. CNN chief Mark Thompson and CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss are staying in their jobs. Skydance chief executive David Ellison has faced criticism from US lawmakers over CBS News coverage.

Neither the memo as reported nor the coverage so far says what Amanpour plans to do next.

Who could replace her

CNN has not named a successor for the international interview slot. We will update this story if the network announces one.