BBC newsreader George Alagiah passed away yesterday (July 24) at the age of 67, and now his colleague and friend Sophie Raworth has helped fulfil his final wish.
In an emotional tribute to George on BBC News At Six, which he had presented since 2007, Sophie began: "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."
The broadcast then showed a video of George discussing his life and cancer battle. In the clip, he 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'.
"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.
"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."
Sophie then paid her own tribute to her friend, as she continued: "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."
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