BBC News presenter George Alagiah diagnosed with bowel cancer

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BBC News presenter George Alagiah is undergoing treatment for bowel cancer, the corporation said today.

A statement said:

Alagiah, 58, joined the BBC in 1989 as a foreign correspondent, covering the Rwandan genocide as well as several wars.

In his time at the corporation he has interviewed figures such as Nelson Mandela, Kofi Annan and Robert Mugabe.

He has presented the BBC News at Six since 2003, taking over as solo host in 2007.

The father-of-two was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka and schooled in Ghana before moving to Portsmouth and then Durham University.

In 2008 he was appointed as an OBE, while he has also won numerous awards for journalism throughout his career.