Stephen Fry announces he is leaving QI after 13 years

He’s a delight on our TV screens but now, Stephen Fry has announced he will be leaving QI after 13 years as host.

The comedy quiz show currently airs in Australia on ABC and BBC Two and has been a quirky institution since 2003. However, the time has come for Stephen Fry to move on.

He will be replaced by Sandi Toksvig, who described it on Twitter as her “dream job”.

Show creator John Lloyd said Toksvig would be “the first female host of a mainstream comedy panel show on British television – an appointment that is well overdue”.

On Fry’s departure, Lloyd said, “Though we are all very sad he’s decided to move on, I am confident that we have found the perfect person to occupy his gigantic shoes”, reports the BBC.

In Stephen’s own words, he said, “For 13 years I had one of the best jobs on television. Behind the camera squadrons of quite extraordinarily brilliant researchers, programme makers and uniquely curious (in both senses of the word) people making that job so much easier.

“In front of the camera generations of lively minds and above all of course the wonder of nature that is Alan Davies.

“After passing the alphabetical halfway mark I thought it time to move on, but I will never cease to be grateful to John Lloyd for devising QI and for everyone else for making it such fun”.

Toksvig said, “Stephen has been utterly brilliant with the first half of the alphabet. Now I look forward to picking up the baton, mixing my metaphors and sailing towards the Land of Nod (i.e. Z).

“Who knows what lies ahead? It should all be quite interesting”.

Tell us, do you enjoy watching Stephen Fry on QI? Are you still going to watch it with the new host? Here’s a compilation of his best moments: