MADE BY MEMBERS • March 2021

Your exclusive invite: High Life Live

We all love a good talk show, which is why we’ve come up with our own: High Life Live, the big travel night in, hosted by funny woman and presenter Sandi Toksvig

About the event

Joining Sandi will be an illustrious travel panel you won’t want to miss: BBC world affairs editor John Simpson, pilot, TV presenter and podcast host Kellee Edwards, blind adventurer and Celebrity Masterchef star Amar Latif and top chef Toni Toivanen.

There will also be an introduction from British Airways Chief Executive Sean Doyle.

Expect a night of question-asking, (insert your tipple of choice here) drinking and celebrating holidays on the horizon with your fellow travel enthusiasts. What’s more, those who register for the event will receive an exclusive 10 per cent discount for their next getaway.

This is a free online event using Zoom.

Date: Thursday 25 March 2021
Time: 5pm-6pm

Book your free place

Meet the speakers...

Sandi Toksvig

Sandi Toksvig is a British–Danish presenter, comedian, actor, author and political activist best known for her presenting stints on QI and The Great British Bake Off. Her knack for comedy was honed during her time in the Cambridge Footlights troupe (producer of many a household name, including Hugh Laurie, David Mitchell, Olivia Colman, Emma Thompson et al), before going on to embark on a successful career in TV. Travel credentials include hosting the recently broadcasted Extraordinary Escapes on Channel 4 and Excess Baggage, the BBC Radio 4 travel show she co-hosted with John McCarthy.
Fun fact: Sandi lives with her partner on a houseboat in Wandsworth.

John Simpson

Having joined the BBC as a sub-editor aged 25, John Simpson is now one of its leading and most long-standing foreign correspondents. World affairs editor at the broadcasting giant since 1988, John has reported from more than 140 countries and interviewed more than 200 world leaders (including every British Prime Minister since Harold Wilson). Luckily for us, John is particularly fond of writing his monthly column in British Airways’ High Life magazine, which he has penned for the past 20 years.
(Not so) fun facts: John has dodged bullets in Tiananmen Square, avoided poisonous gas in the Gulf and was hunted by Robert Mugabe’s forces in Zimbabwe.

Kellee Edwards

Host of the Travel Channel’s Mysterious Islands, Kellee Edwards has been hailed by Condé Nast as ‘One of the Most Powerful Women in Travel’ – and we couldn’t agree more. Starting her trailblazing career as a YouTube vlogger with her series Kellee Set Go!, Kellee is now a revered travel polymath, with journalism accolades, TV presenting and podcasting (Kellee hosts the Let’s Go Together Podcast for Travel + Leisure) under her belt. Not only this, but she is a certified pilot, intrepid adventurer and qualified scuba diver.
Fun fact: Kellee’s love for travel began the first time she saw mountains on a Greyhound bus trip from Chicago to California.

Amar Latif

Adventurer, entrepreneur, motivational speaker and the first ever blind contestant to appear on Celebrity Masterchef, Amar Latif has not let an incurable eye condition dampen his lust for far-flung adventure. He first made waves in the industry doing what he does best – helping others with his remarkable travel agency, Traveleyes, for blind, visually impaired and sighted holidaymakers. From there, Amar’s TV career took flight in form of various BBC and Channel 4 travel documentaries, starting with TV hit Beyond Boundaries, which saw him trek more than 200 miles across Central America, and, most recently, Travelling Blind, co-hosted with comedian Sara Pascoe.
Fun fact: Amar’s favourite place to travel is Cuba.

Toni Toivanen

Since rising through the ranks at two-Michelin-starred Chez Dominique in his hometown of Helsinki, Toni Toivanen has long been ‘the one to watch’. And now, everyone is. Shortly after his stint as head chef at Chez Dominique, Toni was snapped up by Noma, Copenhagen – frequently hailed as the world’s best restaurant – before earning a coveted spot on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 of emerging talent. Soon, you’ll find Toni in the UK capital as he takes up residency at Carousel, the Marylebone supper club known for spotlighting the best and brightest culinary stars in its kitchen.
Fun fact: Toni has a huge love of Japan and Japanese cooking, and was involved in the opening of Inua in Tokyo, which won two Michelin stars within two years of opening.