SUSANNA reid as Cinderella Will surely get to meet her fella

Christmas magic for our leading lady is watching her three sons opening their stockings – then cosying up and opening the Prosecco

It all begins when the tree goes up and my children help to decorate it. We use the same, slightly battered decorations, all kept in an old wooden chest. It only gets opened once a year, so when you lift the lid up, a little of the Christmas magic and spirit comes out. It’s where we keep the baubles the boys have made at school, the lights and stockings.

When they were younger, the children would wake up at four in the morning to open their stockings, which is around the time I am usually up for work at Good Morning Britain. Now they allow me a little bit of a lie-in until six or seven! One of my favourite things in the world is the moment when they see their bulging stockings. I love it.

My mum used to do all the cooking when I was young but my brother is the chef of the family now. There is still a turkey, but some years we have Nigella Lawson’s recipe for ham with cola. I don’t eat meat so there is usually fish or a nut roast – I am a great defender of a Christmas nut roast – and we persist with Brussels sprouts.

I really admire people who can go for a walk on Christmas Day. I see it as a day of indulgence, cosying up, opening presents, drowning in a sea of wrapping paper and battery packs, the occasional search for a screwdriver, more food and some Prosecco. It’s all-out indulging and hunkering down. Boxing Day is the day you want to get rid of the cobwebs, stretch your legs and exercise off the Christmas pudding.