Strictly stars open up about their Christmas traditions: ‘The only time I cooked a turkey was a disaster’
Adams, along with her Strictly Come Dancing co-stars, have opened up about festive traditions
Kaye Adams said she only once cooked a turkey for Christmas which was a “disaster” as her fellow Strictly Come Dancing stars opened up about their festive traditions.
The Loose Woman star, who went home in the first week of the celebrity dance show with her partner Kai Widdrington, added that her yearly ritual is to go on holiday with her family at Christmas.
The 59-year-old told Good Housekeeping’s December issue: “Last year, my partner Ian and I took our daughters, Charley and Bonnie, to New York, which was wonderful.
“Going away means I don’t have to cook Christmas dinner, which is a real bonus.
“I’ve only ever cooked a Christmas turkey once – and it was a disaster.”
She added that her fellow Loose Woman panellist and friend Nadia Sawalha gave her the recipe “timed with military precision” and she “still messed it up”.
In contrast, Kym Marsh said her family like to “stay and endure the cold” in Christmas jumpers or festive dresses while listening to “cheesy music” and drinking a “glass of fizz”.
The 46-year-old presenter added: “(My daughter) Emilie and her partner, Mikey, built (a) bar in their garden during lockdown, so we’ll head over there and, once the kids are asleep, it’s time for the adults to get the beer pong out.
“I have a feeling there might be some dancing this year, too.”
Marsh, who is partnered with Graziano Di Prima on the dancing show, is also currently filming a revival of the school drama Waterloo Road.
Paralympic swimming champion Ellie Simmonds, who is partnered with Nikita Kuzmin on Strictly, said, for her, Christmas is a time to celebrate “the loved ones we’ve lost”.
The 27-year-old added: “There’s normally around 12 of us at the dinner table, but as well as my grandma, my auntie Shirley passed away recently and we’ve felt those losses hugely.
“If the last couple of years have taught me anything, it’s to appreciate every moment with special people.”
Singer-songwriter and radio presenter Fleur East also said: “Getting the call to do Strictly was the best early Christmas present I could have wished for – especially because my dad, who passed away two years ago, absolutely loved the show.
“I knew I had to do it for him.”
The 34-year-old rapper said she had her “favourite Christmas” in 2017 when she went to France with her father, mother and sister.
They visited her the family of her husband, French celebrity fashion designer Marcel Badiane-Robin, and also saw tourist sites, Disneyland Paris and the Eiffel Tower.
East and her partner Vito Coppola came joint third with a score of 32 points in the latest episode of Strictly for their performance to Waterloo by Abba.
The December issue of Good Housekeeping is now on sale. Strictly returns on Saturday on BBC One.