Sandi Toksvig will hunt for undiscovered treasures in a new archaeological series for More4, the channel has announced.
The former Great British Bake Off presenter and comedienne will meet Britain’s professional and amateur history hunters to capture the stories of treasures as they are unearthed for the first time in hundreds of years.
Toksvig, 67, will be joined by archaeologist Raksha Dave and a team of experts excavating the sites and meeting local experts to help share the history of the most remarkable finds.
The show, titled Sandi Toksvig’s Hidden Wonders, will be aired in four parts, Channel 4 said.
Toksvig said: “This is the dream job for a history and archaeology enthusiast like me.
“It is a total privilege to be given access to professional archaeological dig sites and to join Raksha and the teams as they dig to reveal the history of our country from right beneath our feet.”
Dave, an author and TV presenter, said: “It’s so wonderful to share this experience with Sandi.
“Together, we travel across the UK to join archaeological teams as they uncover astonishing stories from our collective past.
“We’re both thrilled to bring archaeology back to the heart of Channel 4 – engaging audiences in a fun, approachable and compelling format that offers real insight into how people lived and the communities helping to rediscover their stories.”
Production company Salamanda Media has been commissioned to make the series.
In a second announcement on Friday, Channel 4 said the Rev Richard Coles will voyage around the British isles to four of the 31 areas mapped out by the shipping forecast, in a new series for More4.
The broadcaster and writer will discover the beauty of estuaries, oceans, channels and coastlines and meet residents of the Faeroes, Lundy, Thames and Wight to learn about life at sea and by the waterside, during the series titled Sailing The Shipping Forecast.
The 64-year-old said: “For years I’ve listened to the shipping forecast with only half an idea of where these exotic-sounding places are.
“I’m very excited to be a part of this journey around the country and feel privileged to meet just some of the maritime communities of our coasts.”
The four-part series has been commissioned by Channel 4 from Glasgow-based Strawberry Blond TV.
