Great British Bake Off's Sandi Toksvig says exactly why she left show
In 2020, TV presenter Sandi Toksvig shocked Great British Bake Off fans when she announced she was quitting the nation's favourite baking show after just three years
Sandi Toksvig left The Great British Bake Off in 2020
(Image: Channel 4)
When Sandi Toksvig departed The Great British Bake Off following three years in the tent, she confessed the programme had become "boring" and left her feeling "unhappy" - despite being her most lucrative role to date. Now the sharp-witted presenter of BBC2's QI is embarking on two fresh travel programmes for Channel 4, both centred around exploration and discovery.
When she departed Bake Off in 2020, Sandi admitted she hadn't relished her time on the programme, despite seeming to enjoy herself alongside co-presenter Noel Fielding. Describing her stint on the programme as the "three longest years of my life" and claiming she could sense her brain "atrophying".
The 67-year-old revealed last year: "I make no bones about the fact I did not enjoy it. I walked away from the biggest pay cheque of my life, but that's fine.
The Great British Bake Off presenters (rear left to right) Sandi Toksvig and Noel Fielding with (front left to right) Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith.
(Image: PA)
"I mean, no disrespect to people, but watching meringue dry and being told how many different kinds there are, I honestly thought I was going out of my mind."
She continued: "I'd never watched it. I still haven't watched it. I didn't understand it. Cakes are readily available in the shops."
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When she announced she would no longer be a host on the show, she said: "When stepping down from a job, it is quite common for people to say they are doing so in order to spend more time with their family. Unusually, I am departing from The Great British Bake Off so I can spend more time with my other work."
She has since disclosed that Prue Leith is the sole person from Bake Off with whom she maintains contact, describing them as being "joined at the hip". It was then in 2021 that Matt Lucas took over from her, before subsequently departing and being succeeded by Alison Hammond, reports the Mirror.
Now, the comedian and television personality will host Sandi Toksvig's Great Riviera Rail Trip, which follows her journey along the stretch of French coastline beloved by A-list celebrities such as Elton John and Brad Pitt. The four-episode series, scheduled to broadcast later this year, transports audiences on one of the globe's most luxurious railway adventures – stretching from the vibrant port city of Marseille to the citrus-perfumed tranquillity of Menton near the French-Italian frontier.
Sandi Toksvig hosted the GBBO among other shows
(Image: BBC/Fremantle Media/Talkback)
During her travels, Sandi discovers the area's most celebrated locations, including Monaco, Cannes, Nice and Saint-Tropez, whilst encountering luxury vessels and gaming establishments and revealing tales of the monarchs, nobles, creatives and famous figures who shaped the Côte d'Azur into a premier holiday paradise.
Having completed filming for both new programmes, it's evident Sandi has completely recovered from the bronchial pneumonia she contracted whilst touring Australia two years ago, which was so serious she "thought she was dying".
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Brimming with Sandi's "signature wit", the programme has been created by Cornelia Street Productions, the production company responsible for Julia Bradbury's Irish Journey and John Torode's Ireland.
Meanwhile, a second fresh commission, Sandi's Hidden Wonders, produced by Salamanda Media, will build upon her earlier travel programme Extraordinary Escapes and features her discovering some of the planet's most closely guarded treasures.
One source revealed: "Sandi may not have felt she was intellectually challenged enough on Bake Off, but her new shows are full of adventure so there's no room, or time, for boredom. Far from it! This is Sandi at her warm and witty best."
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