Andrea Canning - Canadian-American Journalist, NBC Correspondent

Andrea Canning is an American journalist and sensational crime reporter. In October 2012, she became a Dateline NBC reporter, contributing to platforms like MSNBC, NBC Nightly News, and Today.

She is also a writer for Hallmark Channel and Lifetime movies. Her enviable time-juggling skills as the mother of half a dozen have also made her quite popular.

Andrea Canning with her children

Early Life and Education

Andrea Canning was born on December 10, 1972. She grew up in Collingwood, Ontario, Canada, in a family that founded and managed a ski resort. As a result, Andrea was introduced to skiing at a young age and was a competitive skier.

In her growing years, she was a 'shy kid.' She describes herself as — a shadow of the persuasive and articulate journalist the world knows her as.

She graduated from the University of Western Ontario in Psychology in 1994, but it was a summer course at the University of California that proved to be a turning point and nudged her to a career in Television. She then completed a Journalism (Radio and Television Arts) course at Ryerson University in Canada.

Career

Andrea's career began as a morning anchor for a TV news channel in the 1990s. It was dotted by the coverage of several high-profile political, crime, and law and order issues. There was also a lot of switching between LA and Canada.

Andrea's colleagues, from that period, recall her passion, keen aspirations and interesting story ideas even back in the late 1990s.

Her initial years in TV involved a series of small stations in the US and Canada - WCPO TV in Cincinnati, West Palm Beach and Florida; CKVR in Canada, and WXVT-CBS in Mississippi.

Andrea Canning is a successful journalist and scriptwriter

As the reporter and co-anchor of the NBC affiliate, WPTV, she had the opportunity to report on significant issues between 1999-2001, including the Presidential election in 2000, the path of the 9/11 terrorists, and the custody battle of the Cuban boy, Elian Gonzales.

In 2004, she joined ABC News, initially with its affiliate news service, NewsOne. This role saw her travelling to report breaking news stories, such as to Iraq for the War, the White House, the Supreme Court, and Congress.

She made her big move in 2006 when she relocated to New York to work as an ABC News Correspondent. Andrea worked on several shows on the channel, including Good Morning America, Nightline, World News Now, and America This Morning.

While she reported on a gamut of serious issues, it was a TV star's interview for ABC's show, 20/20, that catapulted her to fame. In 2011, Andrea had done a spot on Good Morning America on actor Charlie Sheen, who was then America's most highly paid TV actor, being forced out of his TV show "Two and a Half Men."

Following the spot, Charlie invited Andrea to his mansion in Los Angeles for an interview. Andrea's no-holds-barred conversation with a disgruntled and motor-mouthed Charlie became viral for offering a good glimpse into the actor's headspace and family – his two youngest sons and girlfriends.

In 2010-11, she also worked on the show, Primetime: Celebrity Weight Loss – What Really Happens, for ABC.

Dateline NBC

Andrea joined NBC in 2012 and was named a Correspondent in NBC's weekly primetime investigative show, Dateline. The association continues to date.

Andrea Canning is a Dateline Correspondent

The show is NBC's longest-running primetime show and showcases true crime and human interest stories. Andrea's style of unravelling complex narratives, while demonstrating empathy for the subjects she interviews has received much praise.

Three of her shows have been nominated for a News and Documentary Emmy in the category, "Outstanding Coverage of Breaking News Story in a News Magazine": Dateline (2013 and 2017) and NBC News Special - Terror in Boston (2014).

As of 2023, her net worth was estimated between $1 million - $5 million.

Writer

Andrea also writes for Lifetime movies and the Hallmark Channel. She has over 20 credits as a writer for movies and TV series. Her popular writing works include:

Double Mommy - TV Movie (2016)
Was I Really Kidnapped? - Movie (2019)
A Ruby Herring Mystery - TV series (2019)
USS Christmas - TV Movie (2020)
Killer Prom - TV Movie (2020)

Family

Andrea has been married to George Anthony Bancroft, a lieutenant colonel with the US Marine Corps and a F/A-18 instructor pilot for 15 years.

Andrea has been candid about panicking in her 30s, when she realized her career left her little time for a romantic life. She credits her ABC colleague, Martha Raddatz, for initiating a meeting with her husband-to-be, George.

Martha met Capt. George when he was deployed in Baghdad, and she insisted he was the perfect match for Andrea.

Subsequently, Andrea and George met on the Thanksgiving weekend of 2006. The period was a difficult time for Andrea, who lost her mother to breast cancer two months after she began dating him. The couple married in June 2008.

Lt. Col. George works as a Research Analyst and Portfolio Manager at GAMCO Investors.

Andrea and George have five girls and one boy - Anna, Charlotte, Christina, Georgia, Elle, and Tripp (George). Her eldest daughter, Anna, is 15, while her youngest child, George Anthony Bancroft III, is four.

Andrea has been open about her challenges in becoming a parent when she was 46. Describing her son as her 'little miracle,' she has spoken openly about her IVF pregnancy and complications post-delivery, due to a potentially life-threatening condition.

Andrea Canning and husband welcome baby boy

Her journey through pregnancy in her 40s, and her life as a parent to six children have endeared her greatly to women.

Conclusion

Andrea switches effortlessly between playing hardball and being genuinely empathetic to her guests. This style has defined her TV career. The Canadian-American journalist is synonymous with NBC's flagship true crime series, Dateline NBC, for which she has served as Correspondent for 12 years. She also channelizes her writing prowess as a script and story writer for Hallmark Channel and Lifetime movies.

The 51-year-old Andrea is also an icon inspiring women with her work-life balance. She is parenting six children while managing a demanding media career and a successful writing side hustle.