// BBC ENTERTAINMENT & ARTS — MODA & SOCIETÀ
CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour to leave network after 43 years
CNN's chief international anchor, Christiane Amanpour, has announced she will leave the organisation next year after more than four decades.
"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., external
The 68-year-old said she "looks forward to interesting new projects down the line, and will always be rooting for CNN and maintaining its history of independent journalism. Remember: always be truthful, not neutral".
CNN chairman Mark Thompson described her as "one of the most trusted and beloved journalists anywhere" and said the network will take time to celebrate her "before she departs next year".
Amanpour began working for CNN in 1983 as an assistant on the international news desk, and went on to become one of the network's best-known correspondents, often reporting on conflicts and wars.
She has presented her own nightly interview program on CNN International since 2009.
Amanpour pictured covering the US-led peacekeeping operation in Mogadishu in 1992
In a memo to staff on Monday, Thompson wrote: "Christiane has thought carefully about this decision, and she and I have been discussing it for some months.
"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.
"In the meantime, on behalf of the entire CNN leadership team, I want to thank Christiane for 43 extraordinary years of remarkable journalism, loyalty and friendship," he added.