SHE is the queen of daytime TV but it seems Holly Willoughby is also the queen of Christmas.
The 41-year-old makes no secret of her love of the festive season and over the years she’s shared a few of her top tips for how to have a spectacular time.
Holly Willoughby has shared her top tips for Christmas
The star loves to do the cooking on the big day
Prep
Holly thinks the key to a great Christmas is the prep.
Sharing her tips on her own website Wyldemoon, Holly said: “I think the more prep you can do the better.
“Another key thing to remember is to cook your turkey early, then wrap it in foil to rest.
“I get the turkey cooking done and out of the way, so it is one less thing to worry about.
“It doesn’t go cold – you can leave it to rest for like 4 hours. That way it leaves the oven completely empty for all of your potatoes and other trimmings to crisp up rather than steam!”
She previously revealed she does lots of the cooking a whole month before and then freezes it for the big day.
Table setting
Holly doesn’t want to waste any time on laying the table over and over again – so has come up with a hack.
She explained: “We actually stopped sitting down at the table for breakfast on Christmas Day because we’d find that you’d wake up, have breakfast and then you’d have to clean that all away, then immediately start laying the table for lunch.
“Now, I lay the table on Christmas Eve. We eat a Christmas Day breakfast round the tree.”
The menu
Breakfast, which happens very early in her household, is a varied affair.
“The kids like honey or jam on toast cut into triangles to make it look a bit posh,” she said.
“Dan and I usually have smoked salmon on toast while we are opening the tree presents with a glass of Buck’s Fizz.”
And Holly loves getting involved, saying: Holly said: “I absolutely love to cook each year.
“Even on the years that we’re not at home, I get heavily involved. It’s the most special meal of the year for me.
“I’m obsessed by Christmas pudding – we can’t be friends if you don’t like Christmas pudding. It’s my ultimate favourite with lashings of brandy butter.”
All wrapped up
Not surprisingly mum-of-three Holly also does all her Christmas shopping early – in fact a few years ago Phillip Schofield claimed she started in April.
He huffed: “She started buying her first presents in April! “I’m like, ‘Come on, really?! Where’s the fun in not having a panic?!’
And she gets her wrapping done promptly – by November last year she was ready and raring to start giving.
She revealed: “I’ve also nearly wrapped all my presents.”
Family traditions
On Christmas Eve, everyone wears patching pyjamas and Holly reads the kids ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.
The following day they enjoy a traditional roast with all the trimmings.
Holly shared: “Watching the Queen’s speech was obviously an annual highlight, so it will be very different this year with our new King’s first speech but I’m really looking forward to that.
“And, of course, a Snowball cocktail or 3 and non-stop Christmas music…fa-la-la-la-la…la-la-laaaa-laaaaaa!”
Holly said a few festive drinks will be had
The star has made no secret about her love of Christmas
