Prue Leith

Derry Girls set to enter Bake Off tent for New Year

Leading cast members of the Channel 4 comedy hit will try their hand in special show for New Year's Day.

It's pretty much a Bake Off special this week as Ross quizzes judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith and presenter Noel Fielding about the current series of the cookery show. OK, so there's no Sandi Toksvig, but comedy awaits courtesy of Mo Gilligan and music is supplied by Olly Murs.

Miranda Hart's clumsy, excitable persona with her foghorn laugh is a welcome antidote to the current convention that all women are superior beings. But since quitting Call The Midwife and ending her self-titled sitcom, her TV appearances have been hit-and-miss.

She shone as the compere of the Royal Variety Performance. But in Miranda Does Christmas (C4), a one-off chatshow with Prue Leith, Susan Calman and David Tennant, she was all over the place -- and several days too late.

We had Christmas quizzes, and banter about favourite carols, and every guest was treated to a silly gift. Prue got a painting by a David Hockney (not the artist, just a bloke with the same name). David got a Doctor Who doll.

A choir delivered a medley of Christmas Number Ones, and Miranda led everyone in a conga. 'Such fun,' she shrieked. No, it wasn't. It was the TV equivalent of a three-day-old turkey sandwich.

It wouldn't be Christmas without Miranda Hart raising a mince pie and falling over. Here, she harks back to the simple days of childhood when the festive season was fun, and heads out on to the streets to spread joy. Back in the studio, guests including David Tennant, Sam Smith and Prue Leith get the Miranda treatment. If that sounds like hell, don't wait around for the gospel choir singing a Christmas mashup.

Miranda Does Christmas review: the jollity felt forced

The worst moment was probably the outbreak of festive dancing at the front of the stage, which was about as embarrassing as a disco with your relatives in the living room.