GARY BARLOW is due to perform this weekend as a new cruise ship is launched in Southampton.

On Sunday, a virtual naming ceremony is taking place for P&O cruises latest ship, Iona, Britain’s most environmentally-friendly and largest cruise ship.

Starting at 9pm, the ceremony is to be hosted by broadcaster Jo Whiley and will include a performance from the music director of the 710 club, Gary Barlow.

The Take That star will play a short set as part of the event, which will be broadcast to a VIP audience.

His involvement includes overseeing the ship’s 710 Club music venue and curating new talent to perform on board.

Dame Irene Hays, DBE, DL, owner and chair of Hays Travel Group, will be godmother to the ship, Britain’s largest and most environmentally-friendly, in the landmark ceremony.

Dame Irene’s husband John, who died last November, founded Hays Travel in 1980 and it has grown to become the UK’s largest independent travel agency group.

Together they are said to have been "instrumental" in the expansion of the Sunderland-based company and in the acquisition of Bath Travel in 2013 and Thomas Cook’s retail travel agencies in 2019.

Iona will sail her seven night maiden voyage around the coast of the island of Iona and the Scottish Isles from Southampton on August 7.

P&O Cruises president Paul Ludlow said “We are absolutely delighted that Dame Irene Hays will be Iona’s godmother, taking centre stage alongside Gary Barlow in a landmark naming ceremony which will be the first stepping stone on the path to the return of the UK cruise industry.

“With domestic cruising opening up from May 17 and with our series of UK coastal cruises proving very popular this summer, recovery is certainly on the horizon and Iona’s arrival into the UK and naming ceremony will be the ray of hope the cruise sector has needed for such a long time."