This is really sad news.
BBC politics presenter Andrew Marr has revealed he will go into hospital this week to have a malignant tumour on his kidney removed.
The 58-year-old will step down from his weekly Sunday programme The Andrew Marr Show while he recuperates, returning to the programme in September.
He told viewers at the end of today’s show: “I am going to be away for a couple of weeks or so.
“I’m having a small hospital operation and I will be back as soon as I possibly can, so be kind please to whoever is sitting in this chair next week.”
The operation will come five years after Marr suffered a stroke, with his recovery documented in Andrew Marr: My Brain And Me.
A statement from Marr’s agent Mary Greenham, via The Mirror, said: “Expected to make a full recovery and will be returning to the airwaves soon.
“He and his family have asked for privacy at this difficult time.”
A BBC spokeswoman added: “Andrew is taking a period of time off for medical reasons. We wish him well and look forward to welcoming him back on our screens soon.”
