Sophie Raworth helps George Alagiah fulfil 'final wish' he never got to complete
Sophie Raworth helped George Alagiah fulfill his 'final wish' to return to the air and bid a fond goodbye to his beloved audience.
BBC newsreader George died 'peacefully' at the age of 67 earlier this week after spending the last decade living with bowel cancer.
His colleagues and friends, including Naga Munchetty and Gary Lineker, were among the stars to pay tribute to one of the BBC’s longest-serving and most-respected newsreaders.
Last night it was revealed that George, who joined the BBC in 1989, had wanted to deliver a final message to viewers himself, but never got the chance to return to air.
Instead, an emotionally-charged message was played on BBC News that showed George telling his audience he had 'gotten to a place where he could see life as a gift'.
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The message played after his co-presenter of the News at Six Sophie Raworth told viewers: "I saw him just a few weeks ago. He told me he had hoped to come back to work one last time to say thank you and goodbye, right here, live on air in the studio.
"He didn't get the chance, so we have done it for him. I will leave you now with his own words."
Sophie Raworth helped him fulfil his 'final wish' (BBC)She also reminisced about launching the Six O'Clock News with George in 2003 as she discussed how "we all adored him".
Sophie explained: "20 years ago George and I launched the new Six O'Clock News together back in January 2003. He was a foreign correspondent at heart, that was his passion, but he felt enormously proud and privileged to be presenting the BBC's evening news and he loved it.'
"He loved being in the newsroom being part of the team, and he made a good cup of tea as well. We all adored him, he felt a real connection with the audience too."
She added: "After he was diagnosed with cancer just over nine years ago, he received thousands of letters and messages from people who wrote to him as if they knew each other, strangers who spoke to him as a friend. He was really touched by your support.
"George was a man of great values and indomitable spirit, a big smile, a velvety laugh, a great friend."
BBC newsreader George died at the age of 67The channel also showed a pre-recorded video of George addressing his life and journey with cancer.
George said: "My life, for what it is worth, is divided into pre-cancer and post-cancer. The weird thing about a bowel cancer journey is you don’t really know the beginning and you don’t really know the end.
"So I know the day I was diagnosed with bowel cancer, but I don’t know when it started. Because I was at the top of my game, I was having a fantastic time at work and home, and then suddenly you hear those words 'I'm sorry to tell you Mr Alagiah, you've got bowel cancer'.
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"At first when you're told, you don't know how to respond and it took me a while to understand what I needed to do. For me, I had to get a place of contentment and the only way I knew how to do that was literally to look back at my life.
"Actually, when I look back to my journey, where it all started, looked at the family I had, the opportunities my family had, the great good fortune to bump into Fran who's been my wife and lover for all these years. The kids that we brought up, it didn't feel like a failure.
In a pre-recorded message, he said he 'got to a place to see life as a gift' (Getty Images)
George was proud husband to Frances and a proud father to sons Adam and Matthew (PA)"I wish I hadn't had cancer, obviously. But I have cancer and I'm glad of the things I've learned about myself and about my community, my friends and my family as a result. I have gotten to a place to see life as a gift. Rather than kind of worrying about when it's going to end and how it's going to end, I've got to a place where I can see it for the gift it is. I feel that gift keenly every morning."
His death was announced in an emotional statement from. agent Mary Greenham 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."
The Sri Lanka-born journalist, the face of BBC One's News At Six since 2007, was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer, which had spread to his liver and lymph nodes, in April 2014.
He endured two rounds of chemotherapy and several operations, including the removal of most of his liver. In October 2015 he announced that his treatment was over and returned to BBC News At Six on November 10.
He is survived by his wife, Frances Robathan, and two children, Adam and Matthew.
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