Christmas according to singer Katherine Jenkins includes a bit of Mariah Carey and a load of sprouts-Andrew Williams-Entertainment – Metro

Katherine Jenkins tells us all about her festivities (Picture: Royal Albert Hall)

Singing sensation Katherine Jenkins, 42, came to fame in the early noughties when she had a string of Number One classical albums.

In 2020 she came third in The Masked Singer disguised as an octopus.

On Thursday, she will be performing a Christmas concert at the Royal Albert Hall.

What does Christmas mean to you?

It’s a very busy time for me – there are a lot of concerts in the run-up to Christmas. Being so busy makes Christmas even more special as I can relax and spend the time with family. It’s all about making memories with family and friends.

Do you have a real tree?

I have an artificial tree. I love the smell of real trees but I felt better investing in an artificial tree than chopping trees down every year. I bought one that has pre-lit twinkly lights. I love putting the tree up. Me and the kids have so much joy decorating the tree together. I loved doing that as a child and I love doing it with my kids.

Katherine plumped for a pre-lit artificial Christmas tree instead of having a real one each year (Picture: Getty Images)

Do you like a lot of Christmas decorations or do you keep things minimal?

In the 1980s there was a trend for metallic decorations that hung from the ceiling. One year my dad let me and my sister cover the house in them. My mum likes things to be more simple – I thought she was going to have heart failure.

Now I’m the same as my mum – my tree is silver and white and other than a few wreaths and garlands I don’t put much up. I like putting decorations the children have made on the tree year after year. We’ve invested in a light-up star to put at the top of the tree this year.

What are your favourite Christmas songs?

My favourite traditional carol is In The Bleak Midwinter, which I sang on the Doctor Who Christmas Special. And Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You always gets me in the Christmas spirit.

Katherine likes a bit of Mariah Carey at Christmas (Picture: Gregory Pace/Shutterstock)

What’s the best Christmas present you ever received as a child?

A Casio keyboard when I was 10. I desperately wanted one and this one had all the demos on it. I couldn’t believe I’d received it. I shared it with my sister. We didn’t have a piano at the time so I was able to practise my piano playing on the keyboard.

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What’s the most disappointing Christmas present you have ever received?

My mum always used to pad out our Christmas presents with socks and oranges, which was the least exciting part of the presents. Everyone tells me I’m hard to buy for. I don’t know why. I love cooking, things for the house, musical things – I’m not hard to buy for but relatives tell me I am.

As a child, did you ever repeatedly ask Santa for a present that never arrived?

I asked for a Mr Frosty which you put ice in, it ground the ice up and then you put food colouring in it and ate it. I never got it. I wouldn’t eat that now but at the time they advertised it so well I always asked for it. I thought it looked amazing.

Katherine loved a keyboard she was given aged 10 (Picture: Casio)

Do you have a traditional turkey for Christmas dinner?

I’ve been vegetarian for 15 years. I don’t eat turkey but I’m happy to cook it. I’ll put a really wide variety of vegetables with it and also have a nut roast. Every year my mother tries to persuade me to have a bit of turkey. I’ve never given in. And I always make sure there’s plenty of cranberry sauce and sprouts.

What do you like most (and dislike the most) about the Christmas period?

The best part is having designated time off with everyone else and catching up with people. The thing I like least is, as a mum, there always seems to be so much to do and trying to find the balance between getting everything done, not being too stressed by it and enjoying the sentiment of the season is easier said than to do.

The singer says there’s always plenty of sprouts on her Christmas dinner table (Picture: Shutterstock)

Were you ever in a school Nativity play?

Yes, I played Mary. My mum made my outfit out of blue tea towels. Adam Morgan was Joseph – and we’re still family friends today.

What are your favourite Christmas films?

My children are four and seven and they’re really enjoying Home Alone at the moment. And I like Elf and Santa Claus: The Movie from when I was a child. It is a heart-warming story and it makes me feel Christmassy.

Santa Claus: The Movie was Katherine’s favourite Christmas film as a child (Picture: TriStar Pictures)

Do you prefer Christmas or New Year’s Eve?

Christmas – it’s a whole period of time when you can reunite with friends and family and I like the sentiment of Christmas. There can be quite a lot of pressure with New Year’s Eve to have the best night ever.

What’s the worst New Year’s Day hangover you’ve had?

I used to have an annual New Year’s Eve fancy dress party at the cricket club in Neath. There was one year when everyone had a brilliant time and a great party and we woke up feeling fragile. We took a really amazing but blustery walk along the coastal cliffs in the Mumbles and it blew the cobwebs away.

Christmas With Katherine Jenkins is at the Royal Albert Hall on Thursday, royalalberthall.com

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