Ruth Jones and Ruthie Henshall to appear at Ipswich Regent

Comedians Dave Baddiel and Joe Pasquale join the line up for this year's 'Happy Christmas' show on Monday December 9.

The show, run by East Anglia's Children's Hospices and spearheaded by celebrity patron Griff Rhys Jones, aims to fundraise for the charity.

Ruth Jones on set filming the Gavin and Stacey Christmas special (Image: Ben Birchall/PA) Jones plays the serious but unpredictable Nessa in Gavin and Stacey, which has just wrapped up filming for the Christmas special.

Henshall, daughter of a previous editor of this newspaper David Henshall, has appeared in Cats, Chicago, Billy Elliot and Les Miserables on the West End.

Happy Christmas Ipswich with Ruthie Henshall with Westdal and Hayward in previous years (Image: Joe Higham's REPORTAGE) Rhys Jones said: “We’re thrilled and excited to be celebrating the fifth anniversary of our Ipswich event, as well as now going out all over the region, hosting simultaneous shows in Cambridge and Norwich.

“It’s going to be a bumper night of festive merriment, with many more names to be confirmed soon. Watch this space!

Griff Rhys Jones with 10-year-old Charlotte Freegard (Image: East Anglia's Children's Hospices) “Tickets are already selling fast, so get in quick. It’s a way of giving a small Christmas present to an incredible charity - a vital service that is largely paid for by the people of East Anglia.

“EACH does such important and heartbreaking work, so please join us if you can. I look forward to seeing you there.”

More than 800 tickets for the show have already sold and can be booked online.