Actress, broadcaster and Sightsavers ambassador Sunetra Sarker has taken part in a celebrity edition of ITV game show Catchphrase, winning £55,700 for Sightsavers.

Sunetra, who has been a Sightsavers supporter for more than a decade, appeared on the show on Saturday 22 January, alongside comedian Roisin Conaty and radio presenter Rickie Haywood-Williams.

Contestants are challenged to solve tricky picture puzzles to win money for their chosen charity. Sunetra banked the most money and earned her chance to play in the Super Catchphrase, where host Stephen Mulhern encouraged her to unravel a series of brainteasers to win the star prize.

After solving a further five increasingly difficult puzzles, she won the £50,000 jackpot to add the money she’d already banked.

Sunetra said: “I’m a massive fan of Catchphrase: I watched it with my family when I was young, and the tradition has continued with my husband and children, so when they asked me it was a very quick yes.

“The studio was really nerve-wracking as it’s so much more real than watching on TV. The screen was huge and the pressure to press the buzzer even when I didn’t know what I was going to say was immense!

“It felt exhilarating to win – I still can’t believe it happened! I have never won so much money for charity before – it was really rewarding, and I hope this donation will make a difference.

“If one life or family is improved as a result, I will be over the moon. I appreciate my eyesight so very much and have felt drawn to work with Sightsavers any way I can.”