Christiane Amanpour leaves CNN after 43 years
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
CNN chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour announced she will leave the network next year, ending a 43-year run.
Her exit comes as new owner Skydance takes over CNN's parent company.
Background
Christiane Amanpour is CNN's chief international anchor, based in London, born to an Iranian father and British mother, who joined the network as an assistant in 1983 and rose to prominence reporting from the Persian Gulf war. She has presented her own nightly interview program on CNN International since 2009. Her departure coincides with a new era at CNN under owner Skydance, the company overseen by David Ellison, after an $81 billion merger that brings CNN and CBS under one roof. Neither Amanpour nor CNN chief executive Mark Thompson referred to the Skydance acquisition in their statements on Monday.
How it unfolded
- 1983Amanpour began working for CNN as an assistant on the international news desk at the network's Atlanta headquarters.
- 1990She rose to prominence for on-the-ground reports from the Persian Gulf war.
- 2009She began presenting her own nightly interview program on CNN International.
- May 2026In a London speech, Amanpour said she was concerned about the coming Skydance acquisition, citing an ideological realignment at CBS News.
- Oct 19, 2026Amanpour announced she would depart CNN next year; CNN's parent company was acquired by Skydance this month.
- Jan 2027Her CNN International show Amanpour will be scaled back to once a week.
- May 2027Her show will end.
- Jun 2027She will leave the network the following month.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- CNN chief executive Mark Thompson said he is very sorry to see her go but has come to accept this is the right time for her, calling her one of the most trusted and beloved journalists anywhere.
- Amanpour
- Amanpour said she decided to separate from CNN, her partner of 43 fantastic years, after many months of thought, looks forward to interesting new projects, and will always root for CNN's history of independent journalism.
- Caution
- In May 2026 Amanpour said she was concerned about the coming Skydance acquisition, describing an ideological realignment of CBS and the potential destruction of 60 Minutes.
Still unverified
Amanpour said she was concerned about the Skydance acquisition, citing what she perceived as editorial changes at CBS News since Ellison took over that division in 2025 and describing an ideological realignment of CBS and the potential destruction of 60 Minutes; CBS has rejected accusations of bias in its coverage.