Christiane Maria Heideh Amanpour, CBE, is a British-Iranian journalist and television host, best known for her roles on CNN and PBS. Born in 1958 in the west London suburb of Ealing to a British mother and Iranian father, Christiane grew up in both countries, finishing her primary school education in Iran before attending school in England. Her family was forced to return to the U.K. due to the Iran-Iraq War, but the Islamic Revolution made it near impossible for her and her family to return to Tehran. After completing school, Christiane moved the United States to study journalism, launching a career that would span decades. In 1983, she was hired by CNN on the foreign desk in Atlanta, Georgia, which saw her cover the Iran-Iraq War, the fall of communism in Eastern Europe, and the Bosnian war. From 1992 to 2010, she was CNN’s chief international correspondent and the anchor of ‘Amanpour,’ a daily CNN interview program, from 2009-10. In 2018, she replaced Charlie Rose, following allegations of sexual misconduct, on PBS, bringing ‘Amanpour & Company’ to the network
She has won countless awards, including the Peabody in 1998, and the Edward R. Murrow Award for Distinguished Achievement in Broadcast Journalism in 2002. In 2007, she was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, making her a CBE.
Seen here: Christiane Amanpour attends Variety’s Power of Women presented by Lifetime at Cipriani Midtown on April 5, 2019 in New York City.