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George Alagiah: BBC news presenter's cancer returns

George Alagiah preparing to present BBC News at Six for the first time since his treatment for cancer: PA
George Alagiah preparing to present BBC News at Six for the first time since his treatment for cancer: PA

BBC newsreader George Alagiah has announced he is to undergo treatment for bowel cancer after the disease returned for the second time.

The 62-year-old presenter was previously diagnosed with the disease in 2014 and it was later revealed that it had spread to his liver and lymph nodes.

He was cleared of the disease the following year and returned to work in November 2015.

In a statement, Mr Alagiah’s agent, Mary Greenham, said: “George Alagiah, the presenter of BBC News At Six, is to undergo medical treatment after a recurrence of cancer.

“He was first diagnosed with bowel cancer in April 2014 and returned to the screen in November 2015 after extensive treatment.

“He is in discussions with his medical team about treatment options and the way forward.”

Mr Alagiah said: “My brilliant doctors are determined to get me back to a disease-free state and I know they have the skill to do just that.

“I learned last time around how important the support of family and friends is and I am blessed in that department.

“I genuinely feel positive as I prepare for this new challenge.”

Ms Greenham asked that Mr Alagiah’s “privacy be respected at this time”.

A BBC spokesman said: “Everyone at the BBC sends George and his family their best wishes as he undergoes treatment and we will be thinking of them.”

The Sri Lanka-born presenter was diagnosed with the disease after he noticed blood in his stools.

Later, after a colonoscopy, a tumour was discovered in his bowel and MRI scans detected a further eight tumours in his liver.

In 2016, Mr Alagiah said he was a “richer person” for the experience, which saw him undergo several rounds of chemotherapy and three major operations, one of which included the removal of most of his liver.

He told the Telegraph: “I realised I wouldn’t give back a single day of the previous year’s experience. I am a richer person for it.”

He added: “I wasn’t afraid of dying. I just wanted to get on with treatment.”

However, the broadcaster, who was made an OBE in 2008’s New Year Honours list, admitted that he worried about check-ups.

He told the newspaper: “I get anxious and then there is a huge relief when the doctor tells me it is clear again. But I am under no illusions.

“The doctor warned me last year ‘Your cancer knows the road, the pathway out of the gut’. It can happen again.”

Mr Alagiah joined the BBC in 1989 and spent many years as one of the corporation’s leading foreign correspondents before moving to presenting, and has hosted the BBC News at Six since 2007.

Additional reporting by PA