Becky Anderson was born on November 15, 1967 in Manchester, England. She is known as a British journalist and is the anchor of CNN International's flagship news and current affairs primetime news program, Connect the World.
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Education
Becky is a very hard working lady, who believes that nothing in life happens by chance. She believes one has to work hard to find great opportunities and grab them with both hands. She studied Economics as her major while completing her Bachelor’s degree at Sussex University. She then moved to the United States to attend Arizona State University and completed her Master’s Degree in Mass Communications. She claims she knew exactly what she wanted to in life and went all the way to achieve her goals.
Journalism Career
Becky is a very skilled interviewer and famous journalist who has been working for CNN for over a decade.
She started her professional career by working for local newspapers in Arizona in the late 1990’s. Becky’s strengths and presentation skills resulted in her being offered a job by CNN in 1999. Immediately, she was selected as a presenter for a CNN’s program, World Business. In the beginning she focused her attention on business and finance but eventually, her excellent anchoring skills made her move to other forms of news. In March 2003, she accompanied CNN’s international team to Kuwait to set up their broadcast center and played a major role in the network’s efforts to cover the ongoing war in Iraq.
In 2005, she covered the devastated areas of South Asia due to an earthquake. That same year, she covered the terror attacks in London and riots in Paris. Due to her questioning skills and ability to handle unforeseen conditions, she got a chance to interview many important people around the world. These include top world leaders and decisions makers like Desmond Tutu, Kofi Annan, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon and many others.
She described her interviewing style to Vogue Magazine, “I want to learn who it is I’m speaking to. You can report on a story or you can reveal the truth and the characters behind a story. Humanizing people in TV interviews is massively important. A good news show is like a good dinner party. You might start out talking about the news of the region but then you move on to art, culture, music, events.”
A favorite interview of hers was with Egyptian superstar footballer Mo Salah who took her around his Liverpool home, “We were driving around the city and every time we’d stop at a traffic light, people would knock on the window. It was a rental car and we couldn’t figure out how to open the windows! It was amazing to be with him and realize what celebrity really is. Yet he’s so humble, focused and brilliant. I always go into an interview hoping I can reveal to the viewer who this person really is.”
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She not only covers the political arena but has also interviewed many celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, Beyoncé, George Clooney, Lady Gaga, and Brad Pitt among others. In 2013, she was the host of a live chat with NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg who at that time was based in the International Space Station with questions from social media followers. She currently hosts the show “Connect the World” which made headlines as a result of her interview with Shimon Peres, the President of Israel during the Gaza crisis.
After becoming the managing editor of CNN Abu Dhabi, she described the region to The National, “The UAE has never had more resonance and influence on the geopolitical space. In many ways, locating Connect the World in the UAE is the perfect expression of the show’s philosophy. Being based in Abu Dhabi will allow us to travel around the region and get more on-the-ground experience. For our viewers, it will increase the depth and breadth of understanding of the region.”
She told a great story about when she visited the Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan with Prince Ali bin Hussein, “There were kids who were born there; the refugee camp was all they’ve ever known. The prince had funded a football pitch and these kids were absolutely focused on their game. You see the impact of conflict on their faces, but you also see the hope. This region has its fair share of issues but it also has its fair share of exciting opportunities so to be here now, to witness the evolution of a new era for the Middle East, is amazing. For me, it’s important that the world learns about this region in its entirety. There are so many facets to the Middle East which are just absolutely vibrant. I’ve never enjoyed my job more.”
Becky is extremely professional in the broadcasting business. She has always stayed clear of any controversies.
Personal Life
Very little is known about her personal and private life, there aren't any details about her family that is available to the public. She seems to be very secretive about her life. There is no evidence of her being married, a husband or even a boyfriend. It is not even possible to find rumors of any kind about her relationships during her younger years. She is not believed to have any children. There was some speculation of her being a lesbian but there is no proof to back those claims.
She is believed to have a huge salary which of course has not been disclosed as she is very protective of her private life.
Becky likes to travel because it is a big part of her work but she likes to get away from the crowds during her leisure time, “Having grown up in London, I’m a city girl at heart. I love the buzz of a busy metropolis. But generally, by the time I get around to taking a break, I’m looking for somewhere healthy and reinvigorating, away from the traffic and the crowds. A couple of years ago some friends and I found Amansala in Tulum on the east coast of Mexico. The accommodation is pretty basic, but the whole point of this “bikini boot camp” is that you unplug the devices and tune the body back in. My idea of paradise.”
Last Modified: Apr 8, 2020
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