QI host Sandi Toksvig has revealed she still regularly receives death threats for being gay almost 30 years after coming out.

The broadcaster, who lives in Herne Bay with her wife of 17 years, spoke out about the malicious messages that began when she first opened up about being a lesbian in 1994.

While speaking at a Cambridge Union event the much-loved radio and TV presenter described how it felt to have her decision to publicly identify as gay met with hatred.

She also revealed how, at the wedding to her psychotherapist wife Debbie Toksvig, the pair needed police protection due to the ongoing threats.

Sandi Toksvig, 65, said: “I don’t want to be too serious. I have had a lot of death threats.

“My wife and I, when we got married I had to have a close protection police officer beside me.

“It is still ongoing. But you can’t let that rule your life. I have been threatened twice since I have been in Cambridge in the last month.

“But also I’ve been hugged a lot. That is the risk you take.”

Sandi Toksvig, who has also presented The Great British Bake Off, added: “The best thing to do with homophobes is to be charming and funny. They hate it.

“I feel sorry for people who don’t like our community, who don’t know much about it. We have to keep telling them how the world functions.”

This is not the first time that the Danish-British comedian has addressed receiving death threats.

On Desert Island Discs in 2015, Sandi who has children Jesse, Megan, and Theo with ex-partner Peta Stewart, said: “We had to go into hiding for about two weeks and during that time, I was terrified that I had done a terrible thing to my children.

“I would give my life for my three children. It was truly, genuinely frightening.”

During the same address Sandi, who co-founded the Women's Equality Party, revealed her plans for retirement.

She told the crowd that once QI had finished its alphabetical run, each series is lettered rather than numbered and series U has recently begun airing, she will be 70 and it will be time to step back.

“We have five more years to go before we finish the alphabet and then I will be 70 and then I will retire,” she said.

“The thing I have learned from QI is that more women should be in charge of quiz shows.

“Famous people are nervous when they do the show. I have learned that knowledge is not something you lord over people.

“Famous people do want a hug before they do the show as they are scared.”