“I’ve always been someone who’s loved performing.

“I was really into theatre and I was good at making my friends laugh (even when I was actually trying to be serious).

“But it wasn’t until a couple of years after leaving university when I felt confident enough to admit that I thought I was funny.

“I realised that people liked me for being me. It did take me quite a while to actually try stand-up, because it’s all about growing confidence.

“I really enjoy the creativity that both comedy and baking allow me: making a cake look pretty can be a bit like using rhythm and timing to put together a funny sketch.

“I’m also a bit of a perfectionist, whether that’s in the kitchen, on the stage or in front of a camera.

“My comedy career has been catapulted because of lockdown and everyone flocking to TikTok to whittle away the hours.

“After doing stand-up for a year, when the pandemic hit live comedy disappeared. Annoyingly, it also coincided with a time where I’d just started getting some momentum.

“You don’t usually see comedians until they’ve turned like 30 because it takes so long to get noticed. But the success of my comedy on TikTok throughout the lockdowns completely pressed fast-forward on my career.

“Social media let me simply show who I was and people liked that.

“In fact, my Instagram followers actually gave me the best baking tip I’ve received: bake bread in a pot with a lid.

“Although, make sure the dish you use is ovenproof - Mum wasn’t too happy when the handle of hers exploded in the oven.

“Still, the lid remained intact and the bread came out well, so I continue to listen to my followers’ advice and ask for tips.

“Sometimes, I’ll share videos of what I’m baking on my Instagram Stories. I like to pretend I’m Stacey Solomon and do a montage-style video.

“The kitchen gets very messy when I’m baking – I hate cleaning it afterwards. I wish I could keep it as clean as a Blue Peter presenter, but at least it’s all worth it in the end.

Comedian Abi Clarke on why she loves baking just as much as comedy