Louis Theroux reveals gift Tom Cruise gave his grandmother

Louis Theroux has revealed Tom Cruise sent cupcakes to his grandmother for her 100th birthday.

The documentary maker said he had always wondered if there was a link between this and Scientology.

Hollywood star Cruise is the most high-profile member of the controversial religion which was the subject of Theroux’s film My Scientology Movie.

He said: “I think he’s (Cruise) a guy who’s incredibly proactive about being friendly.

“What it means concretely is that if it’s your birthday, he sends you cupcakes. I don’t think he makes the cupcakes, I think he’s got a person who makes beautiful cupcakes.

“Or if it’s the birthday of someone very close to you. I think that’s what it means. But I have to admit, he didn’t send me any cupcakes, he sent them to my granny, and that was only because my cousin Justin, who’s an actor, wrote Tropic Thunder, which Tom Cruise was in.

“So I think, after that, they became friendly, and then Justin mentioned to Tom that it was our granny’s 100th birthday. And Tom sent her cakes when she turned 100.

“But I was wondering whether there’s a link with Scientology. Whether you get to some level where you get a certain power over cupcakes.

“I’ve read quite a lot about Dianetics and Scientology, and I don’t remember anything about cupcakes.”

Theroux will compete against comedians Jenny Eclair and Russell Howard and Love Island star Ovie Soko in The Great Celebrity Bake Off For Stand Up To Cancer, but admitted he is an inexperienced baker.

He said: “I can follow a recipe, but I don’t bake very often, and I don’t have much experience. I only vaguely know how much I don’t know.

“I know there’s a world of baking. So this weekend, for example, in preparation for the showstopper, I made choux pastry for the first time.

“Prior to that I’d never made choux pastry, I don’t think I’d made any pastry. I’ve never made bread, I’ve never made a cake. I’ve made cupcakes, I don’t think I’ve ever made a full-size cake. Maybe once.

“I’ve done a few little things – brownies, banana bread, flapjacks, one or two other things, but basically that’s it.”

The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer starts on Channel 4 at 8pm on March 10.