Talking Shop: Stars at Christmas 2

BOBBY DAVRO EastEnders rogue DOM TIGHE Blake's baritone SAM and LAYTON Stars of Billy Elliot MARK EVERETT E from Eels LINDA OLSSON Author, Astrid and Veronika

MCFLY Chart-topping boyband LES DENNIS Panto star JOHN GROGAN Author, Marley and Me BILL WARD Star of Spamalot ROBYN Swedish pop star

BOBBY DAVRO - EASTENDERS' VINNIE MONKS

How will you be spending Christmas?
At home with my ex-wife, our three girls and Harry my Cocker Spaniel.

What have you asked Santa to leave in your stocking?
The Simpsons Game for the PlayStation.

What's the worst Christmas gift you've ever given?
A potato peeler.

Can you tell a Christmas cracker joke?
What is Dr Who's favourite food? Dalek Bread!

What have you done this year that you hope Santa won't find out about?
I put £100 on England to beat Croatia. Oh the shame of it!

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DOM TIGHE - BARITONE WITH OPERA STARS BLAKE

How will you be spending Christmas?
At my oldest brother's house in Oundle. It's the first time my parents haven't organised Christmas, but I think they deserve a rest after 29 years.

Who'll be cooking the dinner?
This year it'll be Ali, my brother. God help us!

Brussels sprouts: Good or evil?
I used to live in Brussels and it's a nice place - so good.

What have you asked Santa to leave in your stocking?
The Blake album.

What's the worst Christmas gift you've ever given?
The Blake album!

Can you tell a Christmas cracker joke?
I got one last night at a function. What do you do if you see a spaceman? Park in it, man. Appalling.

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LAYTON WILLIAMS AND SAM ANGELL - BILLY ELLIOT STARS

What are you doing this Christmas?
Layton: At home for a few days with my family.
Sam: With my mum, dad, and sisters Molly and Alix.

What have you asked Santa to bring you?
Layton: A really nice gold chain.
Sam: A drum kit and lots of sweets.

What's the worst Christmas gift you've ever given?
Layton: Chocolate, there's just too much chocolate at Christmas.
Sam: A hug (I forgot to get my friend one!)

What song is guaranteed to get you dancing at the Christmas party?
Layton: Jingle Bell Rock. That's the best Christmas song ever.
Sam: Chelsea Dagger by The Fratellis.

What's the best film to watch on Christmas day?
Layton: The Grinch, because it has a good ending.
Sam: Miracle on 34th Street.

What have you done this year that you hope Santa won't find out about?
Layton: I ate all my calendar on 1 December.
Sam: Chopping a bit of my sister's hair off.

Sam and Layton play Billy Elliot on stage at Victoria Palace Theatre in London

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E - LEAD SINGER, THE EELS

How will you be spending Christmas?
Weeping, as usual.

What's the worst Christmas gift you've ever given?
A three-legged puppy.

What song is guaranteed to get you dancing at the office Christmas party?
Christmas In Prison by John Prine.

What's the best film to watch on Christmas day?
Eels with strings Live At Town Hall (now available on DVD).

What have you done this year that you hope Santa won't find out about?
I parked at a parking meter that already had 28 free minutes on it.

Can you tell a Christmas cracker joke?
I don't make jokes about white people or any other race.

Mince Pies or eggnog?
I'm American. What the hell are mince pies? Eggnog by default.

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LINDA OLSSON - AUTHOR, ASTRID AND VERONIKA

Where will you be spending Christmas?
In Stockholm for the first time in 20 years, with part of my family. I will be hoping for snow, but the chances don't look great.

Who cooks the Christmas dinner?
Well, this year won't be a normal one as it won't be in my house in New Zealand.

Christmas at home is so easy and we spend it with a motley crew of adopted family members. There are no Christmas presents, but everybody brings a piece to read at the table. We have Swedish herring, New Zealand strawberries and chilled New Zealand Chardonnay.

This year I suspect that my mother will be in control. She is simply so very much better at it than any of the rest of us!

What have you asked Santa for this year?
Good health for my mother in law who is in hospital with a broken hip.

What song is guaranteed to get you dancing at the office Christmas party?
The waltz from the Nutcracker - a guaranteed solo!

What's the best film to watch on Christmas Day?
Ingmar Bergman's Fanny and Alexander.

Mince Pies or eggnog?
What? No idea. Can I make it Lussekatt or Glögg? Glögg, I think.

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MCFLY - CHART-TOPPING BOYBAND

How will you be spending Christmas?
At home with our families this year.

Brussels sprouts: Good or evil?
Evil! Poooooh!!

What have you asked Santa to leave in your stocking?
We'd be happy to get anything. It's the thought that counts.

Can you tell a Christmas cracker joke?
Doctor, doctor I feel like a pair of curtains... Well then, pull yourself together!!

What's the best film to watch on Christmas day?
Santa Claus The Movie.

What have you done this year that you hope Santa won't find out about?
We've all been good!

Mince Pies or eggnog? Mince pies without a doubt.

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LES DENNIS - TV PERSONALITY AND PANTO STAR

What's the worst Christmas present you've ever received?
When I was a kid I was a Liverpool supporter, and my dad bought me a Wolverhampton Wonderers shirt. I had no idea why I had this yellow shirt with a black border and I've never been able to watch Wolves ever since. It's traumatised me.

And what about the best present?
My son Philip was born on 22 December in 1979. That was a wonderful gift.

What's your favourite Christmas film?
The alternative Christmas movie is Bad Santa with Billy Bob Thornton. If you're in a really anti-Christmas mood then Bad Santa is great fun!

Will you make any New Year's resolutions?
My resolution is to make them and break them on the second.

Les Dennis is currently playing Buttons in pantomime at the Sunderland Empire.

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JOHN GROGAN - AUTHOR, MARLEY AND ME

Where will you be spending Christmas?
In Boston with my wife's family. O joy!

Who cooks the Christmas dinner?
It's a combined effort. I handle the turkey, gravy, and stuffing, and my wife Jenny does everything else. I also carve the bird, which unfailingly looks like it was butchered with a chainsaw.

Brussels sprouts: Good or evil?
Not just good, but divine, especially when tossed with olive oil, walnuts, and sea salt and slow roasted until soft and caramelised.

What's the worst Christmas gift you've ever given?
All I'm going to say is it was 100% synthetic and an alarming shade of pink!

What song is guaranteed to get you dancing at the office Christmas party?
Bruce Springsteen's smokin' version of Santa Claus is Coming To Town.

Mince Pies or eggnog?
I grew up with a mother who made her own homemade eggnog dusted with nutmeg and cinnamon. So eggnog all the way.

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BILL WARD - SIR LANCELOT FROM SPAMALOT

How will you be spending Christmas?
On my credit card.

Brussels Sprouts: Good or evil?
Once a year is about right.

What's the worst Christmas gift you've ever given?
I went through a phase of giving my dad key rings with a handy torch attached when I was about eight. They went straight into the present drawer, which is fair enough.

Can you tell a Christmas cracker joke?
What's red and invisible? No tomatoes.

What's the best film to watch on Christmas Day?
Any James Bond, I'm a big fan. Probably The Man With The Golden Gun as it's the first one I ever saw.

What have you done this year that you hope Santa won't find out about?
Kidnapped his reindeer.

Mince Pies or eggnog?
Pint of Guinness.

Spamalot is playing at the Palace Theatre in London.

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ROBYN - SWEDISH POP STAR

Do you celebrate Christmas differently in Sweden?
Yes. We celebrate Christmas on the 24 December and we open our gifts in the evening. We spend the whole day eating, and we eat more on the 25th and the 26th and the 27th and the 28th and the 29th!

Do you get involved with the cooking?
My whole family is obsessed with food so everyone cooks! I'm good at making musse bulle, which is sweet bread with saffron in it.

What's the worst Christmas gift you've ever given?
I don't give Christmas gifts any more. I put some money into Greenpeace - I don't think we need to buy any more stuff than we do.

Your album was a huge success this year, but did you have any disappointments?
I went to see Prince at the O2 and I was pretty disappointed. He started out doing Raspberry Beret just on the guitar, but then it all went a bit Las Vegas. It was cool, but it didn't have that intimacy and nerve that I expected of him.

Have you got any plans for 2008?
I've been trying to make a new record while I'm out on the road. There are some demos but the way it looks right now I'm not going to get into the studio until I'm finished promoting this album late next year.

If you could have one Christmas gift, what would it be?I found a really good raw food place in Scotland who do their own juice. So I'd like a tube directly from their store to my house. If I can get that, I'd be happy.

What song is guaranteed to get you dancing at the office Christmas party?
I don't know any Christmas songs, but if you play me Prince's Dirty Mind I'll dance any time.

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