Sandi Toksvig

Sandi Toksvig

Date of birth: 03-05-1958

Born in Denmark, and later educated in New York, Sandi Toksvig began her comedy career at Cambridge University, where she was studying archaeology and anthropology at Girton College.

She appeared in several Footlights shows and was the director, writer and star of the first all -female Cambridge Revue. She wrote for the Footlights show featuring Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie and Emma Thompson that won the first Perrier award in 1981. She was also one of the founder members of The Comedy Store Players improv team.

Her television career began with the children's show No. 73, which ran from 1982 to1986, and has been a panellist in shows such as Call My Bluff, Whose Line Is It Anyway?, Mock the Week, QI and Have I Got News for You – appearing on the first ever episode in 1990.

On radio, she is probably best known as chair of Radio 4's News Quiz, which she took over from Simon Hoggart in September 2006, and also presents the travel programme Excess Baggage. She is also a frequent guest on shows such as I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue and Just A Minute, and from 2002 to 2005 she presented a weekday lunchtime programme on London's LBC radio station.

In 2007 she was voted Broadcaster of the Year by the Broadcast Press Guild and Channel 4 Political Humorist of the Year, and the following year she was named Broadcaster of the Year at the Stonewall Awards.

She has written 18 books and has regular columns in the Sunday Telegraph and Good Housekeeping.

She is the mother of two daughters (born 1988 and 1990) and a son (born 1994) conceived through artificial insemination.

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Sandi Toksvig leaves hospital

QI host on the mend from bronchial pneumonia

Sandi Toksvig has left hospital after being laid low with bronchial pneumonia while touring Australia.

The QI host thanked fans for their ‘kind words’ after she had to cancel the New Zealand leg of her stand-up tour.

‘I am now out of hospital and continuing my convalescence in Australia until I'm fit to fly home,’ she said in a statement posted on Twitter. ‘My undying (literally) thanks to the amazing Australian health service.’

The 64-year-old made her Australian stand-up debut last month and should now have wrapping up three nights in New Zealand.

On Saturday her team posted: ‘Due to illness, Sandi has cancelled the New Zealand leg of her tour. She has been admitted to hospital with bronchial pneumonia while still in Australia and is unable to travel & perform. Our main priority is getting her home to the UK as soon as she is well enough.’

The tweet prompted support from celebrity friends including Davina McCall, Jenny Eclair, Shaparak Khorsandi, Stephen K Amos, author Joanne Harris and LGBTQ campaigner Peter Tatchell.

Before heading down under, Toksvig said: ‘I am thrilled to finally come down to Australia and New Zealand to perform my new show for my fans down under. 

‘It has been a perilous time for live performance, but I am thrilled to be back on the boards. And leaving our winter for an Australian summer is a bonus, I can’t wait.’

Over Christmas she will present the Channel 4 special Sandi Toksvig’s Tiny Christmas Challenge in which  two teams of amateur crafters transformg an alpine cabin into the ultimate Christmas retreat.

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Published: 7 Dec 2022

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Products

Book (2012)
Valentine Grey

Agent

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