Christiane Amanpour to leave CNN after 43 years
October 20, 2026 12.26 Europe/London By Julian Clover


Christiane Amanpour will leave CNN at the end of June 2027, bringing a career spanning more than four decades at the network to a close.

The chief international anchor announced her decision on October 19. Her CNN programme Amanpour will end in May, while PBS’s Amanpour and Company will conclude at the end of 2026.

Amanpour said the decision to leave followed “many months of thought and a few sleepless nights”. It’s not thought her departure is connected to the recent acquisition of CNN by Skydance as part of the Paramount Bros. Discovery deal.

Amanpour joined CNN in 1983 as an assistant on its international assignment desk, going on to report from conflicts including the Gulf war, Bosnia, Rwanda, Afghanistan and Ukraine.

In a message to viewers, she emphasised her commitment to editorial independence.

“You know that I’ve always been fiercely independent, and I will continue to be that for you for as long as I am here and beyond,” she said.

CNN CEO Mark Thompson said the pair had been discussing her departure for several months and thanked her “for 43 extraordinary years of remarkable journalism, loyalty and friendship”.

“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,” Thompson said.

Amanpour will continue hosting her podcast The Ex Files and said she looked forward to pursuing new projects.