Who is George Alagiah married to? All about his wife and children as BBC newsreader dies aged 67

Journalist George Alagiah recently died following a long battle with colorectal cancer on July 24, 2023. He was 67 years old at the time of his death. Alagiah was known for his appearances on the BBC, and he had been married to Frances Robanthan since 1984.

George's death was confirmed by his agent, Mary Greenham, who said that he was surrounded by his family and loved ones. She added:

"George was deeply loved by everybody who knew him, whether it was a friend, a colleague or a member of the public. He simply was a wonderful human being. My thoughts are with Fran, the boys and his wider family."

Paul Endacott paying tribute to George Alagiah (Image via Facebook)

His friend Paul Endacott shared a Facebook post, writing that he and George went to St. John's College together. Paul recalled the time when George told him about his life in Ceylon and his dissatisfaction with the taunts he heard regarding his "colour and funny sounding name." The post continued:

"He dedicated the first couple of chapters of his autobiography to the racism he had to endure as a young lad in the 60s. So George… and his sisters, (I think they attended Roedean) learned to be independent at an early age, seldom returning home to their parents on school holidays."

The charity organization Fairtrade Foundation also paid tribute to George on Facebook. They shared a long statement and wrote that George was a supporter of their organization, along with being their patron between 2002 and 2009.

---

George Alagiah and Frances Robanthan were the parents of two children

George Alagiah and Frances Robanthan attended Durham University together. They tied the knot in 1984 and had two sons, Adam and Matthew. He spoke about his marriage in a viewpoint piece for the BBC, stating that it was the day when two cultures came together. He added:

"Not so much for the two of us but for our parents. My mum in her red and gold sari and Mary, my mother-in-law, in her floral patterned suit – it sort of sums up the journey the two families were making."

In an interview with The Guardian in 2010, Alagiah addressed his children and described them as "amazing guys." He revealed that Adam is doing international development and Matthew is seemingly planning to become a writer.

Speaking of his status as a celebrity, Alagiah stated that his sons have kept him down to earth. In another interview with The New York Sun, George said that it is "sobering" to have the children tell him while dropping them off at school to not get out of the car.

---

George Alagiah had to take a break from his work due to his cancer

George Alagiah's cancer forced him to take a break (Image via Ken Jack/Getty Images)

George Alagiah's diagnosis of colorectal cancer was revealed in 2014. The BBC shared a statement on his behalf at the time, saying that he needed some privacy for his recovery. He recovered the following year and returned to work.

However, his cancer returned in 2018. He revealed the same year that the disease became terminal, and it eventually spread to the lungs, liver, and lymph nodes by 2020.

He took a break from work in October last year, and his agent revealed at the time that he was missing his colleagues because work kept him energized and motivated. He added that he is planning to return as soon as possible.

He previously tested COVID-19 positive in 2020 and discontinued his appearances after being advised by doctors and colleagues. He took a break from work in October 2021 due to a tumor at the base of his back, and he had to undergo pain for around 18 months.

George Alagiah was popular for presenting shows like BBC News at Six and GMT. He was the anchor of other shows like BBC One O'Clock News and BBC Nine O'Clock News.