Sandi Toksvig says hosting The Great British Bake Off essentially taught her that money can’t buy happiness.
The Danish-born TV star, 66, hosted the Channel 4 baking competition for three years before announcing she was stepping down in 2020.
While the show is regarded as one of TV’s most heartwarming shows by fans worldwide, Toksvig was delighted to get away.
Opening up in a new interview in the November edition of Saga Magazine, she explained: "I know some people were surprised when I quit as presenter of The Great British Bake Off in 2020, but I make no bones about the fact I did not enjoy it; I thought it was boring. I genuinely stood there and watched meringue dry.
“It was the biggest pay cheque of my life, and my wife said: ‘But you’re unhappy’, and she’d rather live in a tent than have me go to work and not be happy.”
Toksvig’s latest remarks come after she recently admitted that she and former co-host Noel Fielding, 51, are no longer friends.
She didn’t hold back when discussing her relationships with Fielding and judges Paul Hollywood, 58, and Dame Prue Leith, 84, telling The Times: “Prue and I are joined at the hip.”
Regarding head baker Hollywood, Toksvig added: “Not so much. He’s so busy. He drives cars so fast it’s impossible to catch him.”
When it came to Fielding, her response was blunt: "No."
It was a surprising U-turn after initially praising her friendships with the judges and her co-host when she stepped down, expressing her hope that they would remain close even outside of work.
In a statement shared at the time, she 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.”
After Toksvig stepped down, she was replaced by Little Britain star Matt Lucas, who was then succeeded by This Morning favourite Alison Hammond last year.
