UPDATE: |Celebrity Bake Off’s Tommy Tiernan’s rarely-seen wife who ‘took a step back’ from managing comic and surprise Vatican invite News

The Irish comic is hoping his baked treats are as good as his jokes.

Tommy Tiernan is appearing on the Celebrity Bake Off on Sunday night (April 6) to the delight of fans of the Irish comedian.

Joining Tommy on the Channel 4 series, which is raising money for Stand Up 2 Cancer, is fellow comedian Adam Buxton, actress and writer Meera Syal, and singer Self Esteem.

Looking to follow in Kate Garraway’s footsteps and win the star baker award, the celebrities’ work will be judged by Paul Hollywood and new judge Caroline Waldegrave.

Those in the UK may know Tommy most for his performance in Channel 4 sitcom Derry Gills, where he played a father in constant battle with his father-in-law.

Ireland’s most famous comedian is famous for his exuberant sense of humour on the stage, often showcasing it on his self-titled RTÉ talk show.

The Tommy Tiernan Show sees Tommy interviewing a guest without any knowledge of who will be on the show before they’re sitting across from him.

Past guests on the programme, which at a time was the most watched show in Ireland, include Paul Giamatti, Manchester United legend Roy Keane and boxer Chris Eubank.

Born in the small town of County Donegal, located at the very top of Ireland, Tommy lived in London and Zambia as a child before settling down in County Meath.

Performing stand-up comedy around the world for nearly thirty years, Tommy has performed in every county in Ireland and even travelled to Moscow for a gig.

Gaining traction for his sense of humour, including a memorable appearance on Father Ted, Tommy has appeared on many US programmes, including The Late Show with David Letterman and a Comedy Central one-hour special.

Last summer saw Tommy travel to Rome with Cat Deeley’s husband Patrick Kielty after they were invited to an audience with Pope Francis.

It was a star-studded event with Whoopi Goldberg, Jimmy Fallon, Chris Rock and Conan O’Brien all in attendance for the ceremony.

The event was crafted due to Pope Francis ‘recognising the significant impact the art of comedy has on the world of contemporary culture’ and to ‘celebrate the beauty of human diversity’.

Speaking to Patrick on The Late Late Show about their meeting, Tommy said: “He was a lovely man and everything but you got the sense he was the President of fairytales.

“He’s the CEO of making stuff up, he’s a lovely man and very principled. I didn’t get the sense he was a holy man. I didn’t feel I was meeting a Saint, I felt I was meeting someone who cares.”

Away from the limelight, Tommy has six children, three with his singer wife Yvonne McMahon and and three from his previous relationship with Jayme Street.

Tommy and Yvonne haven’t shared much about their personal lives since marrying at Castle Leslie in County Monaghan in 2009, with fans only getting brief glimpses inside their relationship.

Previously speaking on the Ready to be Real podcast, Yvonne noted that it was okay when Tommy wanted to disclose information about him but she holds back when she is asked about him.

“I’m always amazed because Tommy speaks very publicly regularly about his life, about everything in his life and he does in his stand-up too and I would never ask him not to.

“It’s such a part of my life that people are wanting information about Tommy, and I think that’s fine when it is him giving that information. He can choose to say whatever he wants or not about himself, but I get very protective about him and our family because it is a source for clickbait.

“Now that doesn’t mean you can’t ask me about him, and people do. He is a fascinating person. I’m fascinated by him. Most people are fascinated by him and his work and want to try and understand him but for me, it is about still learning where the line is,” she said.

The former member of The Raines was previously Tommy’s manager, but decided in recent years to take a step back from the role.

“I am part of the management team but there was a stage where it was good for us that I wanted to go and do something else. So I stepped away from it for a while and that was really good for us.

“When you’re a couple, you can end up just talking about work a lot. So I stepped and did my own projects. What I like to say is we work together, and we have a business together; we’re business partners,” she told the RTE Guide.