Andrew Marr facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Andrew Marr
|
|
|---|---|
_09.jpg)
Marr in 2014
|
|
| Born |
Andrew William Stevenson Marr
31 July 1959 Glasgow, Scotland
|
| Education | Trinity Hall, Cambridge |
| Occupation | Journalist, broadcaster |
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Television | BBC News The Andrew Marr Show |
| Spouse(s) |
Jackie Ashley
(m. 1987) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent(s) | Donald and Valerie Marr |
Andrew William Stevenson Marr (born 31 July 1959) is a well-known British journalist, author, and TV presenter. He started his career as a political writer for The Scotsman newspaper. Later, he became the editor of The Independent newspaper from 1996 to 1998. He was also the main political reporter for BBC News from 2000 to 2005.
In 2002, Andrew Marr began hosting Start the Week, a discussion show on BBC Radio 4. He also started his own political TV show, Sunday AM, in September 2005. This show was later renamed The Andrew Marr Show and aired on BBC One.
Andrew Marr has presented several popular documentary series. In 2007, he hosted Andrew Marr's History of Modern Britain, which looked at Britain's history after World War II. He followed this with Andrew Marr's The Making of Modern Britain in 2009, covering the years 1901 to 1945. In 2012, he presented Andrew Marr's History of the World, exploring the story of human civilization.
In January 2013, Andrew Marr had a stroke. He spent two months in the hospital recovering. He returned to host The Andrew Marr Show in September of that year. Andrew Marr left the BBC in December 2021. In 2022, he started new shows on LBC and Classic FM. He also became the Political Editor for the New Statesman magazine.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Andrew Marr was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on 31 July 1959. His parents were Donald and Valerie Marr. He grew up in a religious family and attended church as a boy.
He went to school in Scotland at Craigflower Preparatory School and the High School of Dundee. He also attended Loretto School, a private school in Musselburgh. After school, he studied English at Trinity Hall, Cambridge University. He graduated with top honors.
While at Cambridge, Andrew Marr was very interested in politics. He was known for his strong political views during his student days.
Working in Newspapers
Andrew Marr started his journalism career at The Scotsman in 1981. He worked as a trainee reporter. In 1984, he moved to London to report on Parliament. He became a political reporter in 1986.
He then joined The Independent newspaper when it first started in 1986. After a short time, he moved to The Economist magazine. There, he wrote for the "Bagehot" political column and became the magazine's political editor in 1988. Marr said his time at The Economist made him think differently about many things.
In 1992, Marr returned to The Independent as its political editor. He became the editor of the newspaper in 1996. This was a challenging time for the paper, as sales were falling. He tried new ideas for the front pages and redesigned the paper. In early 1998, he was dismissed from his role as editor.
Three months later, Andrew Marr came back to The Independent. He worked as a co-editor with Rosie Boycott for a short time. When Boycott left, Marr was briefly the sole editor again. However, he left the paper for the last time in May 1998.
After leaving The Independent, Marr wrote columns for the Daily Express and The Observer. He also presented a three-part TV series on BBC Two in 2000 called The Day Britain Died. He also wrote a book called My Trade: A Short History of British Journalism in 2004. In 2021, he joined the New Statesman as its chief political commentator.
Working in Broadcasting
At the BBC
Political Reporter
Andrew Marr became the BBC's political editor in May 2000. In this role, he also took on various presenting jobs. He even made small appearances in two Doctor Who episodes, "Aliens of London" and "World War Three".
In 2005, after the 2005 United Kingdom general election, Marr announced he would step down as political editor. He wanted to spend more time with his family. Nick Robinson took over his role.
The Andrew Marr Show and Other Programs
_11.jpeg)
In September 2005, Andrew Marr started presenting the BBC's main Sunday morning news program, Sunday AM. This show was renamed The Andrew Marr Show in September 2007. He also hosted the BBC Radio 4 program Start the Week until his illness in 2013. He later returned as the regular host.
In May and June 2007, the BBC aired Andrew Marr's History of Modern Britain. This series of five documentaries covered British history from 1945 to 2007. The book that went with the series was a bestseller.
In 2008, he presented Britain From Above on BBC One. The next year, he made a three-part series called Darwin's Dangerous Idea. This was part of the BBC's celebration of Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution.
In late 2009, BBC Two showed his six-part TV series, Andrew Marr's The Making of Modern Britain. This series looked at British politics in the first half of the 20th century.
In 2010, Marr presented Andrew Marr's Megacities. This series explored the life and challenges of some of the world's biggest cities.
In early 2012, Marr presented The Diamond Queen. This three-part series on BBC One looked at the life of Queen Elizabeth II before her Diamond Jubilee.
In 2012, Marr presented an eight-part series on BBC One called Andrew Marr's History of the World. This was made with the Open University.
After the death of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in April 2013, Marr narrated a documentary about her.
Marr also played himself in the 2018 BBC series Bodyguard. He wrote an article for The Guardian about his decision to appear in the show.
Moving to Global
On 19 November 2021, Andrew Marr announced he was leaving the BBC. He joined Global in 2022. He now hosts a new program on LBC called Tonight with Andrew Marr. He also hosts a new arts and interview program on Classic FM. He presents a weekly podcast and writes a column for LBC's website. He said this move gave him "new freedom" for his journalism. His first LBC show aired on 7 March 2022.
Other Work and Interests
Andrew Marr has supported several charities. He helped Sense, an organization for deafblind people. He was also President of the Galapagos Conservation Trust until 2013. In 2007 and 2014, Marr supported the charity iDE UK. He later became a patron for them.
He has also written novels, including Head of State (2014) and Children of the Master (2015).
Personal Life
In August 1987, Andrew Marr married Jackie Ashley. She is also a political journalist. They have a son and two daughters. The family lives in Primrose Hill in north London.
When asked about his religious beliefs, Marr has said he is not religious.
Health
On 8 January 2013, Andrew Marr was taken to the hospital after having a stroke at home. He left the hospital on 3 March. He hoped to return to work later that year. He appeared as a guest on The Andrew Marr Show in April. He then returned to present the show regularly on 1 September 2013.
In May 2018, Marr had an operation for a tumor on his kidney. He recovered after treatment.
Awards and Recognition
Andrew Marr has received several awards for his journalism. In 1995, he was named Columnist of the Year by both the What the Papers Say Awards and the British Press Awards. He also received the Journalist Award in the Channel 4 Political Awards in 2001.
He has won two British Academy Television Awards. He received the Richard Dimbleby Award in 2004. In 2008, he won an award for Best Specialist Factual Programme for his History of Modern Britain series.
In 2009, Staffordshire University gave Andrew Marr an honorary doctorate.
Selected Books
- Andrew Marr, My trade: a short history of British journalism (2004)
- Andrew Marr, A history of modern Britain (2007)
- Andrew Marr, The making of modern Britain (2009)
- Andrew Marr, The Diamond Queen: Elizabeth II and her people (2011)
- Andrew Marr, A history of the world (2012)
- Andrew Marr, Head of state (2015)
- Andrew Marr, We British: the poetry of a people (2015)
- Andrew Marr, A short book about painting (2017)
