Sandi Toksvig to leave The Great British Bake Off after three years

The 61-year-old said that she wants to leave the Bake Off tent to focus on other work projects.

Toksvig, who hosts the baking programme alongside Noel Fielding, 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. As my waistline will testify, Bake Off is an all-consuming show.

‘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.’

Toksvig is a former chancellor of the University of Portsmouth, leaving the role in 2017 after five years.

She has fronted the programme alongside Fielding and judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith since 2017 after it moved to Channel 4 from BBC One.

Ian Katz, director of programmes at Channel 4, said: ‘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. Fortunately, her unique voice will continue to have an important presence on the channel with new shows in development - none of which involve cake.’