Sandi Toksvig announces she's quitting The Great British Off after three years

Sandi Toksvig has announced that she's quitting The Great British Off after three years.

Announcing her decision to leave the show, Sandi wrote in a statement on Twitter, '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.'

In their official Twitter, the people behind the TV show also shared the news, writing, 'All pud things come to an end. The upcoming series of The Great Stand Up To Cancer Bake Off will mark the end of Sandi’s magnificent stint as a presenter on the show. We would like to thank her for all the wonderful memories and wish her the very best for the future. #GBBO'

Fans were understandly heartbroken by Sandi's departure, with one writing, 'Oh no. I will be so sad to see her go. I love watching her and Noel together. They may have started as one of the most unlikely tv partnerships but have developed such a genuine friendship and fun to watch.'

Another wrote, 'Day ruined.'

A third added, 'Honestly, I wasn't sure about the combination of yourself and Noel as hosts, but it worked perfectly. You absolutely smashed it. Will be a shame to see you leave.'

Chief Creative Officer and Executive Producer for Love Productions, Richard McKerrow, also said of the sad departure, “We’ll always be incredibly grateful to Sandi for becoming one of the hosts of Bake Off when we moved to Channel 4, along with Noel, Paul and Prue.

“She has contributed hugely to Bake Off over the last three years, with her sharp witty sense of humour and her passionate commitment to the dozens of bakers during her time in the tent. We wish her all the very best on the exciting projects she is currently working on and beyond.”

Director of Programmes at Channel 4, Ian Katz, added 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.

“Fortunately, her unique voice will continue to have an important presence on the Channel with new shows in development – none of which involve cake.”