Ruth Davidson's appearance on Celebrity Bake Off confirmed

Ruth Davidson is to star alongside American actress Teri Hatcher and comedian Alan Carr in The Great Celebrity Bake Off.

The special edition of Bake Off in aid of Channel 4’s charity TV drive Stand Up To Cancer will see judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith return alongside presenters Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig.

The Scottish Conservatives leader has said the death of her partner’s mother from cancer was behind her decision to take part: “My partner lost her mum to cancer when she was 14 so we do quite a lot between us for cancer charities and when they phoned and asked if I would do this, honestly, I didn’t have to be asked twice.”

Ruth Davidson.

She stressed that she was not paid a fee for the programme which was filmed while the Scottish Parliament was on recess in October, after being questioned by Forth One presenters on the row surrounding former Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale’s paid appearance on I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.

“It’s properly good fun and some of the celebrities that are in there, I’m not sure - like myself - if they’ve seen one side of a spatula from the other either,” Ms Davidson said.

Asked if she was a “domesticated goddess”, she replied: “I wouldn’t quite say that. I’m quite good at cooking - I don’t have much time for baking so it was all a little bit new to me. I have to say I was pretty nervous.”

She added: “As someone that’s a bit of a fan of Bake Off I had a little moment to myself, I’m not going to lie,” she added.

Ruth Davidson.

Requested to reveal what she baked, the politician said: “I’m not sure if I’m allowed ... I had to do a big meringue tower and then had to do a loaf bake and the technical was a mystery bake.

“It’s definitely worth watching the episode because I’m not sure anyone baked anything you would put in your mouth.”

Along the Scottish Conservative leader, the former Desperate Housewives star Hatcher and Carr 17 other famous faces will also tackle tricky challenges in the baking tent.

The other confirmed star contestants include comedians Tim Minchin, Aisling Bea, Lee Mack, Joe Lycett and Harry Hill, TV presenters Stacey Solomon, Melanie Sykes and Bill Turnbull, writer and actress Roisin Conaty and Kaiser Chiefs star Ricky Wilson.

Also taking part are Countdown host Nick Hewer, actors Martin Kemp and Griff Rhys Jones, Made In Chelsea star Jamie Laing, singer Ella Eyre, Paralympic gold medallist Kadeena Cox and Diversity dancer Perri Kiely.

The charity Bake Off will take place across five episodes, with each instalment seeing four stars battle it out over three rounds in a bid to be named Star Baker.