A VETERINARY nurse who bakes as a hobby had her dream come true after making an impressive cake in the shape of a well-known celebrity's head.

Francesca Pleavin, from Hope, decided to concoct the head of comedian Jo Brand out of butter, flour and icing, after being invited by a production company to the Great British Bake Off franchise show, 'A Extra Slice.'

Francesca, who is a veterinary nurse at Liverpool University Vet School, said: "Love Productions, who film Great British Bake Off and 'An Extra Slice' got in touch asking if I would be part of guest audience for An Extra Slice and bring a cake along to filming in September this year.

"Baking isn't my job - I've been a vet for 22 years. I've got a background in it through my grandma, who made wonderful cakes for many years. I said I would like to carry on with cakes but I can't do it often with my job."

When Francesca does get a chance to bake, she puts them on her social media feed - which was spotted by Love Productions. Francesca, 38, travelled down to London along with 400 other guest bakers to be in the audience for 'Extra Slice,' where comedians comment on many of the cakes.

She said: "I had to travel to London but you can't go on the tube with a cake so we had to drive down."

Francesca said in the past, many guest bakers attempted to make cakes inspired by the heads of Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood, but the mum-of-one decided to attempt a quirky edible version of Jo Brand's head, who has appeared on Celebrity Great British Bake Off in previous years.

Francesca said: "I was made up because Jo Brand made time to come over and see my cake and basically wanted to take it home with her to show her daughter. She did take it home and she has since wrote to me just saying thank you so much for building the excellent cake and that her daughter thought it was more attractive than her. I didn't have to take it home, thank goodness.

"It was nice to get a bit of recognition, and that was probably better for me than going on the show.

"She was a really nice lady and she was quite surprised I had made her."

Francesca, who spent 30 hours in total making the Jo Brand cake, said she will continue to make cakes and that the experience was something amazing "I might not get to do again."

Following on from her claim to fame, Francesca has offered to bake an exemplary commemorative cake for the Pet Cemetery and Tea Rooms, in Brynford, near Holywell, who are backing a national leading campaign to memorialise military working dogs.