Sandi Toksvig shocked fans of The Great British Bake Off when she announced she would be leaving the show yesterday.
But it's now claimed that the comedian, 61, was "desperate" to leave the Channel 4 programme for ages and had been hiding in her dressing room when she wasn't filming.
This was said to have caused tension on set as she "just didn't want to get involved".
A source told The Sun: "The atmosphere on set had been lively and upbeat, but as time went on Sandi seemed to be enjoying it less and less and just didn't want to get involved.
"She spent most of her time hiding out in what looked like a bijou shepherd's hut she'd had set up, knitting on her own — and quite often grumbling about it all."
And while fans were gutted by the news, it reportedly hasn't come as a surprise to those close to Sandi.
She "wanted out as soon as possible", it's claimed.
The source added: "The only surprise is that she didn't walk sooner."
Mirror Online has contacted reps for Sandi and is awaiting comment.
Announcing her resignation on Thursday, Sandi said she wanted more time to focus on her other work.
Breaking the news on Twitter , Sandi told fans: "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."
The current favourites to replace her are Bake Off 2015 winner Nadiya Hussain and Extra Slice host Jo Brand.
