A Suffolk comedian will appear on a festive edition of Celebrity Mastermind to raise funds for the Samaritans.

The quiz show will feature Roy Hudd braving the black chair to answer questions on specialist subjects and putting his general knowledge to the test.

Mr Hudd, who lives near Stowmarket, is also well-known for his acting roles, as well as fronting the long-running BBC Radio 2 series The News Huddlines.

He said: “Samaritans is a cause close to my heart. When I was asked to appear on the Christmas edition of Celebrity Mastermind, I knew immediately that I wanted my chosen charity beneficiary to be them.

“The service is available round the clock, even over the festive period when other services are shut, so it is vital that donations keep coming in at this time of year.”

Colin Stuart, director of Ipswich and East Suffolk branch of the Samaritans, said: “It is fantastic that Roy selected Samaritans as his chosen charity for Mastermind, we are very grateful for his support.

“Nationally, Samaritans is preparing to answer 15,000 calls a day from people in the UK and the Republic of Ireland over the festive period, so this £3,000 donation couldn’t come at more important time.”

Mr Hudd has been a supporter of the St Helens Street branch of the charity for a number of years.

Hosted by John Humphreys, the show will be broadcast on BBC One on Friday, January 3, at 7pm.

Mr Hudd showcased his memorabilia from music hall heritage covering the past 50 years in an exhibition earlier this year.

His collection boasts 20,000 song sheets, 900 posters, an array of programmes and 30,000 photographs.

In 2011, he donated the archive to Suffolk New College to enable them to carry out restoration and preservation work.

If you need to contact the Samaritans, call 08457 90 90 90 or email jo@samaritans.org