Veteran foreign correspondent Christiane Amanpour will leave CNN in June 2027 after more than four decades with the cable news channel, the network announced Monday.
Amanpour, 68, serves as CNN’s chief international anchor. In a memo sent to staff on Monday, she explained that she reached her decision after extensive contemplation.
“After many months of thought and a few sleepless nights, I have decided to separate from CNN, my partner of 43 fantastic years!” Amanpour wrote, as reported by Deadline. She urged her colleagues to hold firm to their journalistic standards, writing, “Remember: always be truthful, not neutral.”
A phased departure from television
Under the transition plan outlined by the network, Amanpour will conclude her daily CNN International program, “Amanpour,” as well as her public television show, “Amanpour & Company” on PBS, by the end of this year. Early in 2027, she will transition to hosting a weekly program on CNN that will run through May. Her official exit will take place at the end of June.
Amanpour plans to continue hosting her podcast, “The Ex-Files,” which is produced by Global, according to Deadline.
CNN Chairman and Editor-in-Chief Mark Thompson confirmed the discussions in his own memo to staff, noting that the two had been talking through the move for several months.
“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 wrote, according to NBC News.
From entry-level assistant to global icon
Amanpour joined CNN more than 40 years ago as an entry-level assistant on the international assignment desk in Atlanta. In his note, Thompson noted that an early supervisor told her she lacked what was required to become a foreign correspondent or appear on television, writing, “Boy, did she prove him wrong!”
Amanpour went on to become one of the most recognizable figures in television news. Operating out of the London bureau, she covered major historic events and battlegrounds across the globe, including the Persian Gulf War, the Bosnian War, Rwanda, the post-Sept. 11 wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Arab Spring, the war in Ukraine and the conflict in Gaza.
Over her career, she also secured interviews with prominent world figures, including former U.S. President Bill Clinton, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, and Iranian presidents Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Hassan Rouhani. Amanpour briefly left CNN in 2010 to anchor ABC News’ Sunday program “This Week” before returning the following year.
Corporate shifts and what comes next
The announcement follows the recent closing of Skydance Paramount’s acquisition of CNN’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, NBC News reported. Skydance Chief Executive David Ellison has pledged editorial independence for the newsroom, and Thompson remains in charge of the network.
Amanpour has previously been outspoken regarding editorial approaches, including publicly criticizing a 2023 CNN town hall featuring Donald Trump, Deadline reported. OK! Magazine noted that during an appearance in London last month, Amanpour voiced concern about recent leadership shifts at CBS News under Ellison’s corporate umbrella, though CNN has not stated whether the new ownership played any part in her decision to step down.
CNN leadership said the network will formally celebrate Amanpour’s four decades of reporting before her final broadcast in 2027. Amanpour noted in her farewell message that she intends to pursue new endeavors once her long tenure concludes.
