We always conga with our Christmas pudding!

EXCLUSIVE: As she prepares for festive fun with her musician husband Richard Jones and their five sons, Murder on the Dancefloor hitmaker Sophie Ellis-Bextor reveals some of her family's more quirky traditions to SAMANTHA WOSTEAR

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HER graceful approach to navigating family life at Christmas echoes throughout our interview. “We are faithful to putting our decorations up on the weekend closest to December 1 and every year we seem to build in a little more,” she says.

across several days. “I like to think of Christmas as a season and not just one day,” she explains. “That really helps me to manage everything without there being too much pressure to get everything spot on on Christmas Day.

“My parents parted ways when I was quite young so I had two families to be with.

“By treating it as a longer period of time rather than one or two key days, it felt fairer and not like anyone was getting left out. I've tried to stick to that ever since.”

“The kids make things and I add more stuff. I love colour so my husband says it looks like Christmas all year round in our house anyway!

“This year, as well as our big tree, I have put a baby tree in the kitchen and one in my 16-year-old’s room, so that everybody’s got a little bit of Christmas around the house. I love it.”

Although she’s known for her love of sequins and feminine styles, Sophie can’t resist matching outfits and festive knitwear at this time of year.

“A close family friend hand-knitted all seven of us Christmas jumpers so we love wearing those,” she says.

“Christmas pyjamas were another gift for the kids and now they really look forward to putting them on — it helps that they are so snuggly and they will probably be in them all day on Christmas Day.”