Sandi Toksvig, whose full name is Sandra Birgitte Toksvig, is a Danish-British comedian, author, TV and radio host. She was born on May 3, 1958, in Copenhagen, Denmark, to Claus Toksvig, a Danish journalist and foreign correspondent for Danmarks Radio, and Julie Anne Toksvig (née Brett), who is British. Her father covered the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969. She was raised in Europe, Africa, and the United States, and early on she was influenced by Danish entertainer Birgit Overskov. Toksvig's comedy career began at Girton College, Cambridge, where she studied archaeology and anthropology, graduating with first class honours. In 1982, she both penned and acted in the inaugural revue featuring only women at the Footlights, and subsequently contributed further writing to the Cambridge Footlights Revue that received the Perrier Award. Joining the Cambridge University Light Entertainment Society, she debuted on stage at The Comedy Store in London during its opening night, which led to her inclusion within The Comedy Store Players. She began writing for Radio 4’s comedy programme Three Plus One in 1982. 73 (1982–1986), The Saturday Starship, Motormouth, Gilbert's Fridge, and Island Race. She hosted The News Quiz on BBC Radio 4 from September 2006 to June 2015, replacing Simon Hoggart, and was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame after a decade as chair. She took over as host of QI in 2016, succeeding Stephen Fry, and co-presented The Great British Bake Off from 2017 to 2020 alongside Noel Fielding. She has also appeared as a panelist on shows like Call My Bluff, Whose Line Is It Anyway?, Mock the Week, Have I Got News for You, and was a guest in I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue. In 2014, she received an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to comedy and broadcasting. Beyond her work in entertainment, Toksvig has demonstrated a commitment to political and social causes. She came out as a lesbian in 1994 and co-founded the Women’s Equality Party in March 2015, expressing strong political views. From 2015 until 2017, she held the position of president for the Women of the Year Lunch. She has written over 20 fiction and non-fiction books, including Tales from the Norse's Mouth (1994), Gladys Reunited: A Personal American Journey (2003), and The End of the Sky (2017). Since 2019, she has been president of the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain and maintains a consistent presence as a columnist in both Good Housekeeping and the Sunday Telegraph.
