CNN’s chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour is to leave the broadcaster in June 2027, bringing an end to a 43-year career with the network.
The 68-year-old journalist announced her decision on Monday, saying she had spent months considering her future before deciding it was time to move on to new projects.
“After many months of thought and a few sleepless nights, I have decided to separate from CNN, my partner of 43 fantastic years!” Amanpour said in a statement.
She added that she was looking forward to “interesting new projects down the line” and would continue to support CNN and its commitment to independent journalism.
“Remember: always be truthful, not neutral,” she said.
Amanpour has become one of the most recognisable figures in international journalism, building a global reputation for her reporting from some of the world’s most dangerous conflict zones.
Her career has taken her from the First Gulf War to the Bosnian War, Rwanda, Afghanistan, Ukraine and Iran, reporting on major international events and interviewing some of the world’s most influential political figures.
Since 2009, she has presented her own nightly interview programme on CNN International. The show was reduced to a few days a week in January 2025, with a further change planned for January 2027, when it will move to a weekly format before ending in May.
Although the programme will conclude ahead of her departure, Amanpour will continue reporting for CNN and travelling internationally until June 2027.
CNN chairman and chief executive Mark Thompson informed staff of her decision in a memo on Monday morning, revealing that discussions about her departure had been taking place for several months.
“Christiane has thought carefully about this decision, and she and I have been discussing it for some months,” Thompson wrote.
“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 praised Amanpour as “one of the most trusted and beloved journalists anywhere” and said the network would take time to celebrate her contribution before she leaves next year.
He also thanked her for more than four decades of journalism, loyalty and friendship, on behalf of CNN’s leadership team.
In her own statement, Amanpour paid tribute to the colleagues who had worked alongside her throughout her career, particularly the teams behind her programme and the crews who accompanied her on assignments around the world.
She said the relationships built during her reporting career had been just as important as the stories themselves.
“From my very first big exciting assignment covering the First Gulf War, to the horrors of the Bosnian War, Rwanda, Afghanistan, Ukraine and Iran and all the points in between, it’s the teams and the camaraderie that counted so much,” she said.
Amanpour added that she and her colleagues had worked together to seek facts, evidence and humanity, allowing CNN to report on world events “without fear nor favor”.
Her departure will mark the end of a significant chapter in CNN’s international news coverage, where she has spent decades reporting on conflicts, political upheaval and humanitarian crises.
The announcement also comes as her PBS programme, Amanpour & Company, prepares to end in December, marking another major change in her broadcasting career.
Amanpour has not yet detailed what her next projects will involve, but she has made clear that she intends to remain involved in journalism beyond her departure from CNN.