Michael Ball in The Great Sport Relief Bake Off

Michael Ball a self confessed “obsessive” fan of the Great British Bake Off and recently took part in the celebrity version of the show along with Helen Skelton, former Blue Peter presenter, and Victoria Pendleton, Olympic cycling champion.

He grew  up with his grandmother’s recipes of Welsh cakes and corned beef pasties and has also been sent a number of themed birthday cakes, including a pie with imitation human fingers inside when he starred in Sweeney Todd.

He has been banned from baking at home as his long term partner Cathy McGowan has put her foot down about sweet treats. “She’s livid about it and banned me from baking for four months because she was putting on so much weight.”

The Great Sport Relief Bake Off  has 16 celebrities competing in four shows being aired at 8:30pm between January 13th and 16th on BBC 2. Other contestants include presenter Johnny Vaughan, Saturdays singer Rochelle Humes, actress Jane Horrocks, Dancing On Ice judge Jason Gardiner, Desert Island Discs host Kirsty Young,  Olympian Greg Rutherford, Strictly Come Dancing competitor Michael Vaughan, Jamelia, actresses Doon Mackichan and Samantha Bond, Emma Freud, impressionist Alistair McGowan and Bonnie Wright from the Harry Potter films.

The shows featuring signature, technical and showstopper dishes will be screened over four consecutive evenings: at the end of which a star baker will be crowned. Regular presenter Sue Perkins will be joined by guest hosts Omid Djalili, Ed Byrne and Jo Brand.

On 13th January Michael Vaughan, James Bond and Downton Abbey actress Samantha Bond, Harry Potter actress Bonnie Wright and broadcaster Johnny Vaughan enter the tent with Island Discs' Kirsty Young, singer and actress Jane Horrocks, Olympic gold-medal winning long jumper Greg Rutherford and ice skating's Mr Nasty, Jason Gardiner on the 14th, Michael Ball, broadcaster and co-founder of Comic Relief Emma Freud, singer and presenter Jamelia and Olympic gold-medallist Victoria Pendleton on the 15th and impressionist Alistair McGowan, Saturdays singer Rochelle Humes, comedian Doon Mackichan and former Blue Peter presenter Helen Skelton on the 16th.