'I LOVE THE HOUSE BURSTING WITH PEOPLE'

Christmas has taken on a whole new meaning for Good Morning Britain’s Charlotte Hawkins since she became a mother

Now that my daughter Ella Rose is two, she’s really starting to get the magic of Christmas. It’s so nice to pass on family traditions, such as going out to choose the tree and decorate it together. I look back fondly to the Christmas when I was pregnant with her. I used to wake up really early and not get back to sleep, so I would watch lots of Christmas films at 4am!

I like to go to church on Christmas morning. My father was a vicar, so it was a big part of my childhood to go to church.

There’s a lovely atmosphere and it is lovely for Ella Rose to sing carols.

We don’t have Good Morning Britain on Christmas Day, but I love working on Christmas Eve because everyone has that buzz of excitement. It’s that end-of-term feeling. The studio is decorated and we have a little get-together and do secret Santa.

Everyone who stays at our house gets a visit from Father Christmas. Children, adults and pets included. I like to preserve the magic of Christmas. Sometimes we have

my family over, sometimes my husband’s family and sometimes it’s everybody all together. I love the house bursting with people on Christmas morning, and having to step over various bodies to make a cup of tea. It’s great when you can all get together and enjoy the occasion.

I’m lucky that my husband cooks the turkey and the trimmings – he works for a drinks company, so we always have a lot of nice drinks. I do the starters and desserts. Since being on Strictly, I would love a spa day for a Christmas present – I am definitely going to need it. A massage and a facial would be the best gift someone could give me this year!