Sandi Toksvig is a very familiar face on our screens and recognisable voice on our radios – whether you know her for presenting The Great British Bake Off or for her appearances as a panellist on comedy programmes.
But how did she get into broadcasting – and why has she bought an ancient woodland?
Who is Sandi Toksvig?
Sandi Toksvig is a Danish-British broadcaster, presenter, comedian, writer and campaigner. She is an ambassador for the charity Woodland Trust, and received an OBE in the 2014 New Year's Honours.
How old is Sandi Toksvig?
Sandi Toksvig was born on 3 May 1958 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Who was Sandi Toksvig's father?
Toksvig's father was Claus Toskvig, a Danish journalist, broadcaster and a member of the European parliament. In 1969, her father covered Neil Armstrong’s moon landing from Nasa’s Mission Control. Sandi Toksvig held the hand of Neil Armstrong’s secretary during the landing.
Where did she grow up?
Due to her father's job, Sandi a lot of her childhood away from Denmark – and mainly in New York City. Here she developed an American accent. She later attended university in the UK.
Does Sandi Toksvig have a degree?
She read law, archaeology and anthropology at Girton College, Cambridge. While studying, she wrote and performed in the first all-female show at Footlights (the well-known student sketch comedy troupe).
Is Sandi Toksvig married?
Sandi Toksvig is married to psychotherapist Debbie Toksvig. The pair originally had a civil ceremony and later married when same-sex marriage was legalised.
What has Sandi Toksvig presented?
Apart from previously presenting The Great British Bake Off on Channel 4, Toksvig hosts BBC Two comedy quiz show QI, after taking over from Stephen Fry. She also presents the Channel 4 travel show Extraordinary Escapes with Sandi Toksvig. On radio, Toksvig presented Radio 4's The News Quiz for almost a decade, between 2006-2015.
Why did Sandi Toksvig leave The Great British Bake Off?
Speaking to the Radio Times, Toksvig admitted to leaving her presenting role on The Great British Bake Off because it was no longer fun. She said, '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".
How did she get into television?
Sandi Toksvig started her TV career in children's TV, presenting shows such as No 73. She later appeared as a panellist in comedy shows.
Why has Sandi Toksvig bought a woodland?
Sandi Toksvig and her wife Debbie bought an ancient woodland in south England, on the Hampshire/Sussex border, and have been sharing their restoration of it in Channel 4's Sandi's Great British Woodland Restoration. In the programme, Toksvig explained that climate change and the desire to do something about it encouraged them to buy and restore the woodland.
Speaking as part of an interview in a Channel 4 press pack, Sandi says, 'Much of my childhood was spent in Scandinavia where having an outdoor life is part of the norm. Forests were always a big part of that. Woods cover 70% of Sweden’s land area. It is the most forested country in Europe and I had a huge appreciation of these spaces from my father.
'The first time I went into the woods I found I was so overawed that I was whispering. It seemed so vast and unknown that I felt certain I was not up to it. I did not know one single tree from another. Today I cannot go past any patch of trees without immediately analysing what work needs doing and when.'
Watch Sandi's Great British Woodland Restoration on Channel 4.
Main image credit: Christopher Doyle / Channel 4
Check out our guides to other favourite TV presenters, including Lucy Worsley, Anita Rani, Alice Roberts, Charlie Cooper, Clare Balding, and Gillian Burke.