GWENT sporting legend Joe Calzaghe will be swapping boxing gloves for an apron when he takes on his next tournament - Celebrity Masterchef.

The former world superweight middle champion will be taking on Les Dennis, Shane Lynch, Janet Street-Porter, ex-Corrie stars John Thomson, Denise Black and Brian Capron, comedian Shappi Khorsandi and a host of other celebs.

Joe said: “I’m really excited to be going on Celebrity Masterchef and it should definitely be a programme that will suit my talents better than Strictly Come Dancing!

“Cooking is a passion in the Calzaghe family, particularly the food of my childhood, Italian food that I grew up eating in Sardinia and Bedford. My grandfather is an absolutely wonderful cook, he was a professional chef and it’s something he passed down because my uncle Sergio went to catering college and has worked as a professional chef and my uncle Uccio is also a fabulous cook.

“Even my dad Enzo loves to make spaghetti and can spend hours getting his sauce just right so hopefully some of that has rubbed off on me. I enjoy my food and that's even more the case since I finished boxing, now I don't have to monitor my weight so carefully I can indulge a little bit more.

“I’ll definitely be making more Italian food than anything else but I’m looking forward to testing myself and hopefully improving my skills in the kitchen.

“People know that my mother Jackie never watched me box, not even once, so it’s nice to be involved in a competition where she’ll be able to see what’s going on!”

Viewers across the country will watch the show on BBC One when it hits screens again this summer.

John Torode and Gregg Wallace present the show, in which 16 contestants will attempt six challenges over two days to determine who will go through to the semi-finals.

Calzaghe, who trained at Newbridge Boxing Club, was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2007.