SOPHIE’S GUIDE TO THE ULTIMATE HOME DISCO

MOOD MUSIC

THIS is the most important element, but where to start? I love all the Phil Spector songs with the Ronettes, such as Sleigh Ride and White Christmas. They sound so rich.

But there are also those indicator songs that shout ‘Christmas is coming!’, including Wham’s Last Christmas.

I even love Walking In The Air by Howard Blake. It’s all food for your brain. It gets you in gear and makes you think: ‘It’s that time.’

PLENTY OF SPARKLE

FORGET the rules. It’s your house, so have it the way you want.

Maybe it’s even more important this year. I go colour and sparkle but while I’ve bought new tinsel, I also have an ‘if it ain’t broke. . .’ mentality. We’ve had the same star on top of the tree for 20 years.

I think the main thing is to do things your way this year. In the kitchen — which is also our playroom — we already had a big disco ball, sequined bunting, a light machine and a smoke machine (we used it for our joint 40th party and just never moved it out). I also got a phrase printed out and stuck up on the ceiling which says ‘Our true intent is all for your delight.’ It was on a wall by a swimming pool at a Butlin’s and I thought it was amazing.

Only when we had it up there did Mum say it was actually Shakespearean (it’s from A Midsummer Night’s Dream). When we did the parties, it made sense.

... AND DRESSING UP

I REALLY do have a dressing-up box. I’ve been buying weird and wonderful outfits and questioning why I would feel the need to own a sequined ice-skater outfit from the Sixties, but I’ve actually found myself wearing a lot of them for the kitchen disco parties. These are things I probably wouldn’t even wear on stage, but in your own home anything goes. It’s all just a bit more irreverent really.