Who is Sandi Toksvig? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Sandra Birgitte Toksvig

Age: 64 Years, 64 Year Old Females

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Debbie Toksvig (m. 2014), Peta Stewart (m. ?–1997)

father: Claus Toksvig

mother: Julie Anne Toksvig

siblings: Jenifer Toksvig, Nick Toksvig

children: Jessica Toksvig-Stewart, Megan Toksvig-Stewart, Theo Toksvig-Stewart

Born Country: Denmark

Comedians TV Presenters

political ideology: Women's Equality Party

Ancestry: British Danish

Notable Alumni: Girton College, Cambridge

City: Copenhagen, Denmark

More Facts

education: Girton College, Cambridge

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Childhood & Early Life

Sandi Toksvig was born Sandra Birgitte Toksvig, on May 3, 1958, in Copenhagen, Denmark. Her father, Claus Toksvig, was a Danish journalist and foreign correspondent. Her mother, Julie Anne Toksvig, was of British origin. Toksvig has an older brother, Nick, who works as a senior news editor for ‘Al Jazeera English.’ Her younger sister, Jennifer, is an author and lyricist.

Due to the nature her father’s job, Toksvig spent most of her childhood outside Denmark. She attended the ‘Tormead School’ in Guildford. Later, she attended the ‘Girton College’ of the ‘University of Cambridge.’ Toksvig studied law, archaeology, and anthropology. She was an excellent student and received prizes for her outstanding academic performances. She graduated with a first-class degree.

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Career

At the age of 18, Sandi Toksvig got her first job, as a followspot operator for the musical ‘Jesus Christ Superstar.’ While attending university, she made her entry into the field of comedy. She wrote and performed in the first all-women show at the ‘Cambridge University Footlights Dramatic Club.’ She was a member of the university’s ‘Light Entertainment Society.’

In 1979, Toksvig performed during the opening night of the comedy club ‘Comedy Store’ in London. She was part of the improvisational comedy group ‘The Comedy Store Players’ for a while. In 1982, Toksvig made her TV debut as a presenter of the children’s series ‘No. 73.’ She also presented other shows, such as ‘The Sandwich Quiz,’ ‘Motormouth,’ ‘The Saturday Starship,’ and ‘Gilbert’s Fridge.’

Toksvig was one of the panelists on the ‘BBC’ comedy show ‘Call My Bluff.’ It was one of the longest-running game shows on British TV. Toksvig was a regular on the show, as one of the team captains, from 1996 to 2003. She was also part of the shows ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?,’ ‘Mock the Week,’ and ‘Have I Got News For You.’ In 2008, Toksvig appeared as the presenter of the game show ‘What the Dickens.’

Toksvig was associated with ‘BBC Radio 4’ for a long time. Her voice was familiar to its regular listeners. She made recurring appearances on the comedy panel game shows ‘I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue’ and ‘The Unbelievable Truth.’ She was the host of ‘The News Quiz’ from 2006 to 2015.

Toksvig has made her mark as an author, too. In 1993, she wrote the musical ‘Big Night Out at the Little Sands Picture Palace’ for the theater ‘Nottingham Playhouse.’ She co-wrote the TV series ‘The Big One’ with Elly Brewer. Toksvig starred in the series, too. She has also performed in stage plays such as ‘Androcles and the Lion’ and ‘The Comedy of Errors.’ In 1994, Toksvig published her book ‘Tales from the Norse’s Mouth,’ which was a fictional story for children. In 2003, she published the book ‘Gladys Reunited: A Personal American Journey.’ It was about her visit to the US to relive her childhood memories. Toksvig writes regular columns for the women’s magazines ‘Good Housekeeping’ and ‘The Lady.’ She also writes for ‘The Sunday Telegraph.’

In 2012, Toksvig appeared as the presenter of the British game show ‘1001 Things You Should Know.’ It was aired on ‘Channel 4.’ In 2014, she hosted the daytime game show ‘Fifteen to One,’ which was also telecast on ‘Channel 4.’ In 2016, Toksvig was selected as the host of the ‘BBC’ quiz show ‘QI.’ It was a comedy game and quiz show rolled into one. Toksvig replaced Stephen Fry as the host of the show. In 2017, she was chosen as one of the co-presenters of the baking competition show ‘The Great British Bake Off.’

In 2014, Sandi Toksvig received the honor of the ‘Officer of the Order of the British Empire’ for her contribution to the field of broadcasting. She has always maintained strong political affiliations. In the 1980s, she was part of the comedy tour that supported the ‘Labour Party.’ Later, she supported the ‘Liberal Democrats.’ In 2015, she chaired the first conference of the new political party named the ‘Women’s Equality Party.’ Toksvig and Catherine Mayer were the founders of the party.

Personal Life

Toksvig is a supporter of lesbian and homosexual marriages. She was in a same-sex relation with Peta Stewart. They have three children: two daughters, Megan and Jesse, and a son, Theo. They were conceived through artificial insemination. Christopher Lloyd-Pack was the donor. The children were carried by Stewart. Toksvig and Stewart separated in 1997.

Toksvig is currently married to psychotherapist Debbie Toksvig. They were in a civil partnership since 2007. In 2014, when same-sex marriages were legalized in England, the couple renewed their vows and converted their partnership into a marriage. They currently stay in a houseboat in Wandsworth.

Toksvig is an atheist and a humanist. She is a patron of the charitable organization ‘Humanists UK,’ which aims at living above religious and superstitious beliefs.

Trivia

As a child, Toksvig traveled a lot with her father, who was a Danish foreign affairs journalist. At the age of 11, she was present at the ‘NASA Mission Control Center’ in Houston, during the first moon landing. In an interview, Toksvig recalled holding the hands of Neil Armstrong’s secretary.

Toksvig has invited criticism for several jokes made by her in ‘The News Quiz.’ Some of her critics once demanded an investigation against her for obscene jokes.

Sandi Toksvig Biography