‘Get your twinkly lights up!'

Kirstie Allsopp on how her festive craft special will raise our spirits…

- Rebecca Fletcher

Could Kirstie Allsopp be the saviour of Christmas this year? The queen of festive craft laughs at the suggestion, clearly tickled by the idea that her C4 special, Kirstie’s Christmas: Quick & Easy Craft, might rescue us from the doom and gloom of 2020.

‘I don’t know about saviour, but I do think we all need something to focus on in the midst of lockdown,’ says Kirstie, whose prime-time special this Sunday is followed by her returning daytime craft series, Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas, which will run weekdays for two weeks from Monday 30 November.

‘I think we need another C-word that’s not coronavirus, and that word is Christmas! None of us know what Christmas holds this year, but it’s likely to be very different from ones we’re used to. There’s never been a greater need for comfort, joy and a bit of escapism, and I hope that’s what my show will bring people.’

Along with her infectious enthusiasm for glue guns, Kirstie will be making bespoke cards using leftover fabric, beautiful baubles from wax crayons and ice lanterns out of balloons. She’ll also be inviting some of her best buddies to join her at Christmas HQ, including her florist sister Sofie, her ‘TV husband’ and Location, Location, Location co-host Phil Spencer, and the 2014 winner of The Great British Bake Off, Nancy Birtwhistle.

Here, in an exclusive interview, Kirstie, 49, tells TV Times how a crafty Christmas could bring viewers comfort by the sleigh-load…

We assume that you approve of starting the festive celebrations and preparations nice and early this year…