CELEBRATE with the stars
‘CHRISTMAS IS NOW A TRIBUTE TO MY MUM’
Comedian, Strictly Come Dancing star and Loose Women presenter Judi Love, 41, lives in east London with her children San, 16, and 11-year-old Shi.
Christmas is about my children and family time. Normally, myself and the kids spend Christmas Eve with a large group of my close friends of 20 years. We pile into one of our houses for a party and everybody brings a dish and a drink. Christmas is about food, laughter and being with people you love the most.
I’m the youngest of five and, as a child growing up in Hackney, east London, Christmas was all about the build-up. Mum began squirrelling away festive treats from the moment they appeared on supermarket shelves but I’m too disorganised for that. I’m the one rushing around on 23 December and now I’m flat out with Strictly rehearsals, this year will be no different!
After Mum died 12 years ago, I couldn’t celebrate Christmas for five years until the day I heard Mum in my head saying, ‘You’ve got two beautiful children – live!’ Now Christmas is more joyous because it’s a tribute to Mum and also my dear dad, Albert, who we lost earlier this year.
Strictly will undoubtedly add extra sparkle to this year’s celebrations!
✣ Strictly Come Dancing airs on Saturday and Sunday nights on BBC1.
‘YOU CAN’T BEAT CHRISTMAS IN THE UK’
Singer-songwriter Gary Barlow, 50, lives in London and Oxfordshire with his wife Dawn, 51, and their three children, Dan, 21, Emily, 19, and Daisy, 12.
We’ve entered a new Christmas era because
