Broadcaster Andrew Marr recovering in hospital after suffering stroke

• Broadcaster recovering in hospital after suffering stroke

• The Andrew Marr Show and BBC Radio 4 programme to be presented by guests while Scottish journalist recouperates

The 53-year-old, one of the most prominent figure in British broadcasting, is responding to treatment, the corporation said.

Glasgow-born Marr, who began his career at The Scotsman, is known for his current affairs and politics programme, The Andrew Marr Show, on BBC One, alongside his BBC Radio 4 show Start The Week.

The BBC said last night: “Andrew Marr was taken ill yesterday and taken to hospital. The hospital confirmed he has had a stroke. His doctors say he is responding to treatment.

“His family have asked for their privacy to be respected as he recovers. We will continue to broadcast The Andrew Marr Show and Radio 4’s Start The Week with guest presenters in his absence. His colleagues and the whole BBC wish him a speedy recovery.”

The BBC said both programmes would continue with stand-in presenters while Marr recovers, with James Landale presenting The Andrew Marr Show this Sunday.

Marr went to Dundee High School and Loretto School in Musselburgh and received a first-class honours degree in English at the University of Cambridge. He joined The Scotsman in 1981 as a trainee business reporter, before later becoming a parliamentary correspondent and a political correspondent.

Many of Marr’s colleagues in the media took to Twitter to express their sympathy last night.

Fellow BBC politics presenter Andrew Neil, a former publisher of The Scotsman, wrote: “Very distressed to hear news about Andrew Marr. Best wishes for full and speedy recovery.”

Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee tweeted: “Andrew Marr, renaissance man, polymath, wise commentator, painter, runner, brilliant cook – and ace editor. Get well soon. Needed in public life.”

Marr launched his BBC career as political editor in 2000, a post he held until May 2005 when stood down to spend more time with his wife, Guardian political journalist Jackie Ashley, his son and two daughters. Since September 2005, he has presented The Andrew Marr Show, previously called Sunday AM.

A keen historian, Marr launched his presenting career in 2007 with a political span of post-war Britain on BBC Two, Andrew Marr’s History of Modern Britain, followed by a prequel in 2009, Andrew Marr’s The Making Of Modern Britain. This was followed by Andrew Marr’s Megacities in 2010.

Marr caused controversy in 2010 at Cheltenham Literature Festival with his opinions regarding “citizen journalism”, saying: “A lot of bloggers seem to be socially inadequate, pimpled, single, slightly seedy, bald, cauliflower-nosed, young men sitting in their mother’s basements and ranting.”

In May 2011, it emerged that he had taken out a super-injunction to prevent the reporting of an affair. He won a High Court order in January 2008 to silence the press following his extra-marital affair with a national newspaper reporter.

He admitted he had taken the step as he said he felt “uneasy” about it as a journalist.

The woman with whom he had the affair, some nine years ago, is a political journalist who has a daughter.

Marr has published five books on British history. More recently, in September last year he started work on Andrew Marr’s History of the World, a series examining the history of civilisation. He had described this project as his culmination of “marinating in history for over 30 years”.