I'm excited for a different kind of Christmas this year'

Reality star Tanya Bardsley reveals why she's breaking tradition and spending the festive period abroad and opens up about how her secret health battle has affected her family

- JAMIE ROBERTS

For family-focused Tanya Bardsley, who shot to fame in The Real Housewives Of Cheshire, her preference has always been a traditional Christmas at home with her loved ones.

But this year, Tanya, 44, is breaking protocol and jetting off for some sunshine with her family.

The former model hasn’t had the option of Christmas by the beach before as her husband, former Premier League footballer Phil, used to have work commitments around this time of year.

Now, Tanya is grabbing the chance to top up her tan in December before the couple’s son, budding footballer Rocco, 16, who is currently at Stoke City’s academy, takes over the baton of being the family sporting star.

“I’m excited for a different kind of Christmas in the sun this year,” Tanya tells us. “We’ve never been away because of Phil’s football. And as soon as Rocco is in the first team, that will be us in England again, because I’ll never leave that big boy at Christmas.”

Tanya’s brood is made complete with sons Renz, 12, and Ralphi, nine, and daughter Gabriella, 23, from a previous relationship. But she admits, as with pretty much all families, Christmas always comes with a fiery flareup or two, thanks to the stresses and strains of the festive season.

“Every Christmas we have arguments,” she laughs, insisting anyone who says they don’t have a blazing row at this time of year is “clearly lying”.

“We have more rows at Christmas time than at any other time. Every time we go Christmas shopping, we’re falling out by the time we’re at the end of the drive,” she says. “We’re never talking around the toy shop. Honestly, it’s not even just a one-off. It’s every single Christmas.