Christiane Amanpour, a veteran international journalist, has announced that she will leave CNN in June 2027 after 43 years with the global news network, capping a career that included high-profile interviews with Zimbabwean leaders Robert Mugabe, Emmerson Mnangagwa and Morgan Tsvangirai.

Amanpour announced her decision in a video message shared on social media, saying she had spent several months considering the move before deciding to part ways with CNN, her professional home since 1983.

“After thinking carefully for several months and experiencing a few sleepless nights, as you can imagine, I’ve decided to separate from CNN, my partner of 43 fantastic years — longer than many marriages,” she said.

She said her daily programmes on CNN and PBS would end at the close of 2026, while her CNN programme, Amanpour, would continue as a weekly show until June 2027, when she plans to leave the network.

Amanpour used the announcement to pay tribute to colleagues, producers and field crews who had worked alongside her throughout her career, recalling coverage of major global conflicts, including the Gulf War, Bosnia, Rwanda, Afghanistan, Iran and Ukraine.

She said teamwork had been central to her career, particularly in the effort to establish facts and bring audiences evidence and human perspectives from some of the world’s most challenging environments.

“I’ve always been fiercely independent, and I will continue to be that for you, for as long as I am here and beyond,” she said, warning of unprecedented political and financial pressures on journalism, as well as increasing dangers facing reporters in the field.

She also expressed continued support for CNN and its tradition of independent journalism, while thanking audiences for watching, listening and engaging with her work over the years.

US President Donald Trump has frequently referred to CNN as a “fake news” channel. In September, he announced an immediate ban on CNN, MS. NOW, and Politico from the White House, citing allegations that these outlets were “constantly writing or reporting fiction or lies” about his administration.

Amanpour’s interviews with Zimbabwean leaders

Amanpour has interviewed some of Zimbabwe’s most prominent political figures during pivotal moments in the country’s history.

In September 2009, she conducted an in-depth interview with then-President Robert Mugabe, examining Zimbabwe’s political and economic challenges during the period of the Government of National Unity.

The interview addressed issues including land seizures, declining food production, international sanctions and Mugabe’s grip on power.

In November 2017, as Mugabe’s rule ended after military intervention and mounting political pressure, Amanpour interviewed opposition leader and former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai about the transition and Zimbabwe’s prospects for the future.

The following year, she interviewed Mnangagwa after he became president, questioning him about his plans for the country, the disputed 2008 elections, political reforms and his promise to reopen Zimbabwe to international investment.

Those interviews placed Zimbabwe’s political transition, leadership and democratic future before an international audience through conversations with leaders from both the ruling establishment and the opposition.

Amanpour said she would continue her work during the transition and urged viewers to keep watching her CNN programme. She also highlighted her podcast, The Ex Files, as part of her ongoing media work.

Her departure will close a 43-year chapter at CNN, where she rose from an entry-level position on the international assignment desk to become one of the network’s most recognisable international journalists.