One of the BBC’s veteran presenters, Andrew Marr, is leaving the corporation after more than 20 years.
The host of the “Andrew Marr Show” on BBC One, a mainstay political program on Sunday mornings, revealed on Friday that he is joining media org Global, where he will continue to present and write for various programs as well as newspapers.
“After 21 years, I have decided to move on from the BBC,” said Marr in a statement posted to Twitter. “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.
“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!”
Global owns a network of popular radio stations in Britain, including LBC and Capital FM. In a statement, the company said it had struck an “exclusive deal” with Marr, who will be presenting new shows on LBC as well as classical music station ClassicFM, in addition to a weekly podcast on GlobalPlayer. Marr will also write a regular column for the LBC website.
The BBC put out a statement in short order following Marr’s tweets, with director general Tim Davie hailing the outgoing personality as “a brilliant journalist and presenter during his time at the BBC.”
“He leaves an unmatched legacy of outstanding political interviews and landmark programs. We wish him well for the next chapter,” Davie continued.
Meanwhile, Fran Unsworth, director of news and current affairs, who is herself leaving the Beeb in early 2022, called Marr a “firm favorite with our audiences.”
Added Unsworth: “Andrew started at the BBC as a knowledgeable and insightful political editor, and went on to become a feature of the U.K.’s Sunday mornings, on Sunday AM, which became the ‘Andrew Marr Show.’ He is a fantastic presenter and interviewer, whose wisdom and skill will be a loss to our screens. We thank him greatly for his years of service and wish him the best of luck in his new role.”
More to come.