10 Facts About Selwyn Toogood

Selwyn Toogood did not learn of his Maori ancestry until he was 18 years old.

Selwyn Toogood was educated at Wellesley College and Wellington College, where he had an inauspicious career, apart from excelling in the dramatic arts.

On 30 June 1948, Selwyn Toogood married Cynthia Holden Webb at St Peter's church, in Willis Street, Wellington.

Selwyn Toogood joined the army following the outbreak of World War II.

Selwyn Toogood was mentioned in dispatches in 1944, in recognition of gallant and distinguished service in Italy.

Selwyn Toogood published his autobiography Out Of The Bag in 1979.

Selwyn Toogood hosted numerous other TV shows for the Broadcasting Corporation of New Zealand and Television New Zealand, including the panel show Beauty and the Beast and the children's quiz show W3.

Selwyn Toogood retired from It's in the Bag in the 1980s, handing over the mantle to radio and TV host John Hawkesby.

Selwyn Toogood was awarded a special lifetime achievement award by the New Zealand Academy of Film and Television Arts in New Zealand in 1999.

Selwyn Toogood died in Auckland in 2001, and his ashes were buried in Karori Cemetery.