Sandi Toksvig left Great British Bake Off because her brain was ‘atrophying’

Sandi Toksvig has said she stepped down from hosting the Great British Bake Off because she felt her brain was “atrophying”.

The 65-year-old comedian and broadcaster began presenting the hit baking show in 2017 alongside Noel Fielding after it moved to Channel 4 from the BBC.

Toksvig announced her departure from the programme in 2020 and was replaced by comedian Matt Lucas, with Alison Hammond later taking over his role last year.

The Denmark-born broadcaster told the Radio Times: “To be honest, I left Bake Off because I stopped having fun.

“I was literally standing there watching meringues dry and thinking ‘Oh my God, my brain is atrophying’.

“So, after three years, I thought ‘That’ll do; go and do something else!’

“I’m in love enough with the business to think ‘OK, that’s a nice pay cheque, but it doesn’t work for me. I’ll move on and do something else’.”

Toksvig currently fronts the long-running quiz show QI, having taken over the role from Stephen Fry in 2016.

She said she has stayed with the show because she is “still enjoying it”.

“I hope QI will be one of my legacy projects,” she added.

“By the time we’ve finished the alphabet I will have done exactly the same number as Stephen. We’ll have done half the alphabet each.”

The presenter also noted that quiz shows are like a family business for her because her father, Claus Toksvig, was the host of Mastermind on Danish television.

While the diversity among quiz show presenters has been broadening in recent years, Toksvig said she would like to see more female hosts.

“Knowledge doesn’t belong to one demographic, it belongs to all of us. I would still like to see more women in charge of shows,” she said.

“Being the quizmaster, between you and me, is the easiest job in the world because they tell you the answers beforehand.

“And those cards on which the answers are printed are not as heavy as some of those boys led us to believe – it’s really fine for a woman to do it.

“And let’s not even start on chat show hosts… Where are the female chat show hosts?”

– The full interview is available in Radio Times magazine.