This Morning’s stars have unwrapped their secrets of enjoying the Christmas Holly-days.
Holly Willoughby goes to a church nativity play and Alison Hammond hits the festive markets. Phillip Schofield has a Christmas Day walk while Dermot O’Leary braves a sea dip.
As the ITV show returns for a special episode on December 25, its hosts tell their Yuletide traditions.
Will you be cooking or trying something new this Christmas? And who will be sitting around your table to enjoy it?
Holly : “I have got a houseful this Christmas. My family on my side are all coming on Christmas Day so I’m cooking a full turkey and all the trimmings, I will be doing Phil Vickery’s recipe.
“Then Boxing Day, I have all of Dan’s [husband Daniel Baldwin] side of the family over. That’s a lot more chilled so obviously anything that’s left over from Christmas Day but I always do a big fish pie and a big shepherd’s pie.
“They’re Italian so there’s loads of Italian meats and cheeses. There’s two things I’m going to attempt to do this Christmas because part of Dan’s tradition is having this very classic Italian soup called Tortellini in Brodo.
“It’s like a clear broth soup with tortellini parcels in it. It was funny because Michela Chiappa made it recently so I’ve got her recipe. I totally rely on This Morning for all of it actually.”
Phillip: “Christmas lunch for me and the family is always very traditional. So I wouldn’t go hooking up an air fryer for that but there are lots of things we’ve had on the show that have given me inspiration.
“I’ve got jars of spices and things our lovely chef Nisha [Katona] has given me. Jamie Oliver has given me a big pot of spice and I got portions of beef bourguignon from Clodagh [McKenna].
“All the tips I learn from our chefs I try throughout the year and I’m experimenting all the time. We learn so much on This Morning.”
Alison: “I did Phil Vickery’s turkey last year - but stupidly didn’t trust the hour theory, I was too scared so I left it in longer and it fell apart... but everyone still loved it.”
Dermot: ”You do a great spread when you’re entertaining though.”
Alison: “ Yeah, I do a buffet so people can just help themselves, it works for everyone.”
Dermot: “You had Josie last year, didn’t you?”
Alison: “Gibson’s coming again this year with her little one.
“So I’ll be cooking for her, our boys, my brother and there might be some friends that are doing panto locally too joining us.
Dermot: “That’s lovely. Around our table will be family – we take it in turns each year and Kasper [his two-year-old son] is getting more aware of things too which is lovely.”
What do you most look forward to about Christmas time approaching and do you have any traditions?
Holly: “It’s sort of that debate around what is the right time to put the tree up. My sister went mid-November so I already felt quite twitchy about putting baubles up.
“First week of December, I’m going to decorate the house and do all of that and we have a real tree for Christmas.
“Last year I went too early and it was just arms and pine needles on the ground, so I was like, ‘Right, I can’t do that again’. I’m going to have to hold off but I have been listening to Christmas music since August.
Phillip: “ I actually enjoy it getting a bit colder in the lead-up to Christmas. There is something lovely about a chilly Christmas and a wintry walk through the woods.
“Do I still get out on my bike in winter? No, I’m a fair weather cyclist. I know many like autumn but aside from the nice colours, I just find it messy with all the leaves so I’m quite happy to skip autumn and get straight to winter.”
Holly: “I also love going to see something really Christmassy like the Nutcracker. Plus seeing how many times I can watch Elf in December, which is surprisingly a lot - that’s the kids favourite Christmas movie.
“We always go to our local church on Christmas as well, they do a really lovely nativity and all the kids dress up as whatever animal they like. At the end of the service, all the kids are in this beautiful image, up there at the front of the church. I think Christmas Eve might be my favourite actually because of the anticipation of what’s coming…”
Phillip: “We had someone on This Morning recently who said, ‘Christmas time makes people be nicer to each other’ and that’s always a good thing isn’t it?
“Traditions-wise for me is just having family time, that is always essential. My daughters are both Christmas fiends and although they are now 26 and 28, they still put an oat arrow out on the lawn pointing Santa to the house.”
Alison: ”Aside from loving all the decorations, I love going to the German markets in Birmingham. I treat myself to a sausage, have a look at the gifts, enjoy the smell of the chestnuts roasting.
“I just love the atmosphere, it makes me feel so Christmassy. It feels like it could be Munich. I always do that every year so I guess that’s a tradition for me and my son.”
Dermot: “I think London comes alive at Christmas too, it has that lovely Victorian/Dickensian feel, and the last few years I’ve been to see things like A Christmas Carol at The Old Vic.
“My sister lives in York and that’s a lovely place to be at Christmas too, and we’ve had Christmases in Ireland with mum and dad. We’d always go for long walks along the coast and if we’re brave enough go for a cold dip in the sea.”
What made you smile this year? And what plans do you have in store for 2023?
Holly: “Meeting Will Ferrell [star of the movie Elf] recently on This Morning was one of my greatest moments. I mean I was totally star- struck, to the point where I couldn’t actually get my words out.
“I kept saying the wrong thing and putting ‘s’ or ‘m’ on the front of words. I was just talking gibberish.
“Phil could tell… but it’s lovely when there’s two of you because we’ve both had moments like that when the other one needs to do a bit more heavy lifting whilst I turn in to this superfan, looking at Will going, ‘Oh my God, it’s actually Elf.
Elf is actually here!’”
Holly: “Looking ahead to next year, as I’m sure any parent would say that with every year brings new challenges.
“But the flipside of that is you’re watching these little humans grow and develop, so I think I’m looking forward to what’s next to come with them and seeing who they are turning out to be.
“My oldest is 13 and the relationship changes hugely. They sit at the table with you and you are talking about things that aren’t just about what they got up to at school, it’s about how they view and see the world. I’m really enjoying it.
“I’m enjoying this phase and seeing all those things that you put in place throughout their early childhood years suddenly blooming. I can’t wait for more of that and just being a bit of a spectator with a helping hand.”
Phillip: “That is a lovely phase. I never tend to do New Year’s resolutions as I won’t keep them.
“But for 2023 we will be back on This Morning and Dancing on Ice which is always the next thing to look forward to in the New Year. Before you know it when Dancing on Ice finishes, it’s spring.”
Dermot: “Without trying to sound too cheesy, I bolt out of bed on a Friday morning knowing that I’m going to work to see this one!”
Alison: “Stop it, I’m going to start crying!”
Dermot: “We text each other a few times during the week and by Wednesday and Thursday I start to get a bit excited about the laugh we’re going to have.
“It just doesn’t feel like a job. I’m aware it’s a really privileged thing to say.”
Alison: “It is amazing. Being together makes us smile the most. And for 2023 I’m doing more travels with Josie [Gibson] again for This Morning too, which will be fun.”
This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV1 and ITVX. This Morning will air on Christmas Day from 10am on ITV1 and ITVX.
