BBC star George Alagiah had important dying wish for wife during cancer journey
George Alagiah movingly spoke about his fear of leaving behind his wife of almost 40 years following his diagnosis with bowel cancer nine years ago.
The BBC newsreader, who died today at the age of 67 following his diagnosis in 2014, previously opened up about the one thing he had hoped to do until the very end with his wife Frances Robathan - and the thought of no longer being able to do it 'haunted' him.
The Sri Lankan-born journalist, who was one of the broadcaster's longest-serving newsreaders, last year admitted to the Sunday Telegraph that the one wish he had was to hold his wife's hand, right up until his last breath.
George said: "One of the things I want to do is hold hands with my wife until the end, and am I going to be able to do that? It haunts me."
George and Frances, who was the Senior Partnerships Adviser of the Fairtrade Foundation, tied the knot in 1984 after meeting as students at Durham University. In January 2022, George spoke about believing his cancer would "probably get me in the end", but insisted he still felt "very lucky" thanks to his family life and successful career.
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Speaking on the podcast Desperately Seeking Wisdom, George recalled the moment he was diagnosed in 2014. It took a while for him to understand what he 'needed to do' to stay positive. "I had to stop and say, 'Hang on a minute. If the full stop came now, would my life have been a failure?" he asked.
George Alagiah accompanied by his wife Frances and sons Adam, 21, (left), and Matt, 17, at Buckingham Palace, after collecting his OBE (PA)
George has reflected on his life positively amid his cancer diagnosis (Getty Images)"And actually, when I look back and I looked at my journey... the family I had, the opportunities my family had, the great good fortune to bump into (Frances), who's now been my wife and lover for all these years, the kids that we brought up... it didn't feel like a failure."
A statement from Alagiah's agent, Mary Greenham, announced the news of his death on Monday to the PA news agency. It read: "I am so terribly sorry to inform you that George Alagiah died peacefully today, surrounded by his family and loved ones.
"George fought until the bitter end but sadly that battle ended earlier today. 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."
Following his stage four diagnosis, George underwent chemotherapy and several operations, including the removal of most of his liver. A year later, he announced that his treatment was over and he returned to BBC News At Six on November. However, the cancer came back in 2017.
He took another break from the studio in October 2021 to deal with a further spread, before returning in April 2022. The dad-of-two first noticed something was wrong when he found blood in his stool, and since going public with his diagnosis, had encouraged people to attend the routine NHS tests.
Following the statement from Alagiiah's agent being released, BBC Director-General Tim Davie said: "Across the BBC, we are all incredibly sad to hear the news about George. We are thinking of his family at this time.
"George was one of the best and bravest journalists of his generation who reported fearlessly from across the world as well as presenting the news flawlessly. He was more than just an outstanding journalist, audiences could sense his kindness, empathy and wonderful humanity. He was loved by all and we will miss him enormously."
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