Michael Ball and Alfie Boe take a fun festive quiz!

Do you know each other’s favourite Christmas carols?

I bet it’s Once in Royal David’s City so he can get to sing the first verse solo like a boy soprano! Wrong! It’s actually O Come All Ye Faithful.

I think it’s O Holy Night. Correct. It’s not just my favourite; when I presented Songs of Praise – the Nation’s Favourite Carol a few years ago, O Holy Night came first.

If you could sing a Christmas duet with anyone else – past or present – who would it be? You’re expecting me to say someone like Bing Crosby or Frank Sinatra but that wouldn’t be the right answer. I think Alfie would like to sing with rockers such as Bruce Springsteen or Robert Plant from Led Zeppelin.

Yeah definitely.

I love rock music. My ultimate Christmas duet would be with Freddie

Mercury.

He’s classier than me so I’ll say someone like Billie Holliday.

You’re right about the classy bit, Alf! I love Billie but if I could only pick one singer to do a Christmas duet with... Aretha Franklin.

Freddie Mercury

Aretha Franklin

Which Nativity character do you think he played as a child?

The Innkeeper. I can just imagine him growling, ‘Gerrrout! You’re not comin’ in ‘ere.’

I never played the Innkeeper but over three different years, I was a shepherd, one of the Three Kings and also Joseph. The year I played Joseph, I was pretending to be a carpenter and fell off the stage.

I reckon he’d have played the Angel Gabriel. I can just imagine Michael – complete with wings and halo – being lowered down on a pulley and hovering precariously over the stable roof. ‘I come with great joyyyyyyyy…arghhhhh!’

Well, I do love an entrance! Actually, I don’t think I was ever in a school nativity. I did play Joseph, though, in a production of Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat.

Christmas in the snow or the sun?

He’s definitely a snowboy who loves a traditional Christmas. Chestnuts roasting on an open fire and all that.

Alfie: Spot on!

Alfie on Michael: I think he’s a snow man, too. Michael: I am. I’m all about the traditions. I have done Christmas in the sun and it was very nice – on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day. Christmas Day just felt weird, though. It wasn’t right!

What’s the best Christmas present you ever bought him?

One Christmas, I bought him a Captain America onesie! At the time, he was very fit and did really look like Captain America. In fact, I started calling him that.

It was funny but not the best present. The best thing you’ve ever given me as a Christmas present was getting to No.1 with our first album, Together, in 2016.

Maybe a Fortnum and Mason’s hamper, maybe a winter candle...

The hamper and candle were much appreciated but it has to be Together getting to No.1at Christmas in 2016.

I’m hoping it’ll happen again this year with, Together at

Christmas.

Or the Dame. Maybe an Ugly Sister.

Let’s both be Ugly Sisters. The Palladium Panto next year!