Video: On the road with Gok Wan's charity crusade in Leeds

Gok was promoting a scheme which allows volunteers a chance to be funded for a two month placement working with a charity of their choice.

"It's a national campaign to allow 500 people to do charity work. Vodafone came to me and showed me what they did last year, and it's a great chance to help not just one, but hundreds of charities in one go," said Gok.

"I am already an ambassador for a charity called Kidscape and I help promote them and also help out with their workshops."

The style icon is visiting several cities to promote the project and thinks Leeds is high up in the fashion stakes.

"Leeds is great, I used to come here when I was younger. I think the further north you go the more people like to dress up, down in London people rush around and go straight from the office to a party, but up here people like to make a night of it, have the girls round with a bottle of wine and dress up before going out," he said.

Gok's rise to the top of the fashion industry has been a shock to him: "I have always loved image and I kind of fell into fashion by mistake. I love my job now, I never realised 6 years ago how it would take off. I just try to make shows about real people for real people," he said

He was happy to speak at length about how he deals with fame: "It's definitely Momma Wan who looks after me and helps me with my problems and stresses. You just have to realise that being a celebrity is just part of the job. It's great but it is still just a job, at home I just switch it off and go to the pub with mates."

"I love the X-Factor, I love the style on that show, I love the girls, they're both beautiful and both achieve their own personal styles every week," he added.

Volunteers from Yorkshire from this year and last were there to meet Gok on his tour. Lesley Sharp, 44, from Leeds, has signed up to take part in the scheme in 2010. She said: "I'm self-employed as an advertising copyrighter so I often feel cooped up in my office, I wanted a chance to get out and do something outside, this gives me the chance to get out as well as the joy of working for charity."

Lesley is hoping to work for either BCTV, a conservation charity, or Groundwork UK, and environmental regeneration charity.

"Being self-employed I'm hoping I can be flexible with my hours and I can work when they want, I haven't submitted a bid yet, but I hope I get the opportunity to work out doors, living in a flat I only get to tend a few pots and this would let me get out and do something for others."