Newly hired Christiane Amanpour has irked her ABC News bosses by refusing to start until August — because she wants to spend the summer in the south of France.
The respected CNN chief international correspondent, who will take over as anchor of ABC’s Sunday morning show “This Week,” told network honchos that she wouldn’t start until after her regular summer vacation. Some ABC News chiefs are concerned that the delay, while Jake Tapper fills in as host, could hurt ratings.
A source told Page Six, “Christiane made it clear she would not start until August because she wants to spend time at her family house in France.” Amanpour, daughter of an Iranian airline executive and his British wife, is married to former State Department spokesman Jamie Rubin, a Columbia University professor. They have a son, Darius, 9.
Amanpour is replacing George Stephanopoulos, who left the show to take Diane Sawyer‘s place at “Good Morning America.” Since joining the CNN foreign desk 26 years ago, she has reported from the front lines in Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Israel, Pakistan, Somalia, Rwanda and the Balkans. Despite her clear dedication to the job, she told a British newspaper last year, “I spend time in France each summer.”
One ABC source told us, “Christiane told us that it would be better for her to start in August rather than be on air for a short time and then take a break. Her family has had a house in France for a number of years. The idea that ratings could dip is nonsense. Just look at the successful and low-key launches of George Stephanopoulos and Diane Sawyer.”
An ABC spokesman said, “Christiane has work and personal commitments in the United States and abroad throughout the summer, and she’s going to take a well-deserved vacation . . . We are thrilled that she is going to start in August.”