Sandi Toksvig has hinted at the real reason she quit her presenter role on the Great British Bake Off after three years.
The 64-year-old broadcaster had hosted the Channel 4 series alongside Noel Fielding for three years and stunned fans when she stepped down.
The comedian appeared on Thursday's Good Morning Britain show, sitting in the studio alongside hosts Kate Garraway and Adil Ray to promote her upcoming tour.
But as Kate munched on her breakfast of a mini egg frittata, conversation turned to Bake Off as Sandi admitted that on the cooking front she “paid no attention at all”.
Kate then asked: “Why did you leave by the way? I don’t think we ever worked it out. Did you just get fed up?”
Sandi replied: “I think you can only watch so much meringue dry. After a while you just need to move along.”
But co-host Adil pressed the issue, asking Sandi if she “just got bored” of the hit Channel 4 show.
Sandi replied: “I did three years and I enjoyed it. I’m huge friends with Prue as well, we stayed great mates and I had a lovely time. But the world is so exciting and so interesting and what I love is live things. When you don’t know what’s going to happen right now.”
In a statement revealing her departure, Sandi said she was leaving on good terms to focus on her other work.
Breaking the news on Twitter, Sandi told fans: “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.
“As my waistline will testify, Bake Off is an all-consuming show.”
She then praised her co-stars judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood and her fellow host Noel.
Sandi said: “Spending time with Prue, Paul and Noel has been one of the great pleasures of my life.
“These are friendships which I know will continue beyond the confines of television.
“Bake Off is a wonderful programme which has already proved it can happily withstand a change of hosting personnel.
“The reason for that, of course, is that the true stars of the show are the bakers themselves. I wish everyone well.”
In the wake of Sandi’s shock departure from the show, which saw her replaced with comedian Matt Lucas, producers thanked her for her hard work on the show.
Ian Katz, Director of Programmes at Channel 4, said in a statement: “Sandi is a huge part of why Bake Off’s move to Channel 4 has been such a success and we are immensely grateful for her contribution to the show.
“We will miss her warmth and wit, not to mention her endless willingness to be the butt of jokes about being the least tall person in the Bake Off tent.”
