Andrew Marr to leave BBC after 21 years: Here's why Marr is quitting the BBC

Andrew Marr leaves BBC after 21 years: Here's why Marr is quitting the BBC - and who are Global? (Image credit: Jeff Moore/Global/PA Wire)

Andrew Marr, veteran BBC journalist and broadcaster, has announced that he will be leaving the BBC after 21 years at the company.

The Scottish journalist has spent 16 years alone on his eponymous show, The Andrew Marr Show, quizzing British politicians on UK news and current affairs and reviewing Sunday papers.

But why is Andrew Marr quitting the BBC – and where is he going instead?

Here’s what you need to know about Andrew Marr’s decision to leave the BBC and what’s next for the Scottish broadcast journalist.

Who is Andrew Marr?

Born Andrew William Stevenson Marr in Glasgow, 1959, Andrew Marr has led a successful career as a journalist focusing on British history, politics and business for the last 40 years.

Marr began his career at The Scotsman in 1981 – working as a trainee junior business reporter and later, parliamentary correspondent before moving on to The Independent and The Economist.

After several years working as Political Editor and Editor-in-Chief at The Independent in the nineties, Marr entered the BBC as its Political Editor in 2000.

In 2005, he left the position to pursue a full time presenter slot on Sunday AM, now known as The Andrew Marr Show, remaining in the role for 16 years.

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Why is Andrew Marr leaving the BBC?

News of Andrew Marr’s imminent departure from the BBC broke on social media on Friday afternoon, as the Scottish journalist took to Twitter to announce that he would be leaving the broadcaster.

Marr told followers on Twitter that he was “keen to get my own voice back” after 21 years at the BBC and would be moving to Global in the New Year.

"After 21 years, I have decided to move on from the BBC,” Marr tweeted.

"l leave behind many happy memories and wonderful colleagues.

"But from the New Year I am moving to Global to write and present political and cultural shows, and to write for newspapers”.

In further tweets, Marr added: “I think British politics and public life are going to go through an even more turbulent decade, and as I’ve said, I am keen to get my own voice back.

"I have been doing the Andrew Marr show every Sunday morning for 16 years now and that is probably more than enough time for anybody!”

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Who are Global?

Global is a British broadcast and radio network best known for owning LBC, the phone-in and radio talk show home to more outspoken British radio presenters like James O’Brien, Nick Ferrari, Shelagh Fogarty and Rachel Johnson – columnist and sister of Prime Minister Boris Johnson – and even former Scottish Conservative leader, Ruth Davidson.

But it also owns Heart radio stations, Classic FM, Smooth radio and Capital FM.

The LBC network is already home to Scottish broadcasters such as Iain Dale, who joked on Twitter in response to the news of Marr’s arrival at Global:

"It turns out that three years ago @global wanted to hire #Marr but because of a typo they got me by mistake.”

“You can never have too many Dundonians,” Marr responded – nodding to his own Dundee roots in having attended private school, the High School of Dundee, during his childhood.

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Andrew Marr to leave BBC after 21 years: Here's why Marr is quitting the BBC - and who are Global?