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| Celebrities’ unwanted Christmas presents: ‘dear Santa, can you take this back?’ | Celebrities’ unwanted Christmas presents: ‘dear Santa, can you take this back?’ |
| (1 day later) | |
| Dermot O’Leary, television presenter | Dermot O’Leary, television presenter |
| A couple of years ago a voucher for Botox from Simon Cowell. Charming, and unused. The next year he sent me a picture … of himself. | A couple of years ago a voucher for Botox from Simon Cowell. Charming, and unused. The next year he sent me a picture … of himself. |
| Dermot supports ZSL London Zoo | Dermot supports ZSL London Zoo |
| Mark Austin, ITV news presenter | Mark Austin, ITV news presenter |
| Related: How to collect a refund for something you didn't want for Christmas | |
| A few years ago, at a big family Christmas dinner, I tried to look delighted at receiving a very smart pair of beautiful soft leather pink gloves. Cue much laughter all round. Only later, when my non-golf-playing sister received a box of golf balls, did we realise that the whole concept of “secret Santa” had gone horribly wrong. I think probably the worst, or certainly the least likely to be used, was a tie decorated with illustrations of the various positions contained in the Kama Sutra. It was sent by a woman when I first became a news presenter and she asked that I wore it when I went back to work after Christmas. She subsequently wrote in late January asking why I had not! | A few years ago, at a big family Christmas dinner, I tried to look delighted at receiving a very smart pair of beautiful soft leather pink gloves. Cue much laughter all round. Only later, when my non-golf-playing sister received a box of golf balls, did we realise that the whole concept of “secret Santa” had gone horribly wrong. I think probably the worst, or certainly the least likely to be used, was a tie decorated with illustrations of the various positions contained in the Kama Sutra. It was sent by a woman when I first became a news presenter and she asked that I wore it when I went back to work after Christmas. She subsequently wrote in late January asking why I had not! |
| Peter James, crime fiction author | Peter James, crime fiction author |
| Definitely the worst present I ever received was from a well-meaning aunt in Canada. Normally she and my uncle sent great things, wonderful North American toys that had not yet arrived in the UK, such as a Scalextric car set, way before they had become known here. Then one year, when I was 13, she sent pyjamas! I was mortified. | Definitely the worst present I ever received was from a well-meaning aunt in Canada. Normally she and my uncle sent great things, wonderful North American toys that had not yet arrived in the UK, such as a Scalextric car set, way before they had become known here. Then one year, when I was 13, she sent pyjamas! I was mortified. |
| Shane MacGowan, lead singer with The Pogues | Shane MacGowan, lead singer with The Pogues |
| I once got a year’s supply of masses, one for every Sunday, for the salvation of my soul. | I once got a year’s supply of masses, one for every Sunday, for the salvation of my soul. |
| Ken Hom, chef | Ken Hom, chef |
| All my friends got together to buy me a Lalique caviar bowl which I coveted. But one, who was carrying it (all wrapped up), stumbled on her way out of the car and dropped the package. When it came time to open the gifts all I could hear was the broken crystal rattling. All just drank more champagne and laughed! | All my friends got together to buy me a Lalique caviar bowl which I coveted. But one, who was carrying it (all wrapped up), stumbled on her way out of the car and dropped the package. When it came time to open the gifts all I could hear was the broken crystal rattling. All just drank more champagne and laughed! |
| Oz Clarke, wine writer and TV presenter | Oz Clarke, wine writer and TV presenter |
| Years ago I got a second edition of Ben Jonson’s The Alchemist, pages uncut, a treasure – especially as I’d played the lead role of Face not long before. I was staying in the loft of my brother’s house in Scotland. I was all by myself, plus the largest population of book-mad mice in Britain. Still, what was left of the binding made good kindling. | Years ago I got a second edition of Ben Jonson’s The Alchemist, pages uncut, a treasure – especially as I’d played the lead role of Face not long before. I was staying in the loft of my brother’s house in Scotland. I was all by myself, plus the largest population of book-mad mice in Britain. Still, what was left of the binding made good kindling. |
| Peter James supports JDRF, the world’s leading type 1 diabetes research charity. | Peter James supports JDRF, the world’s leading type 1 diabetes research charity. |
| Scott Mills, BBC Radio 1 DJ | Scott Mills, BBC Radio 1 DJ |
| An aunt gave me aftershave but it looked like it wasn’t in the original box. I only noticed later on Christmas Day that the bottle said “tester” on it. How did she acquire that from a shop? I never had the heart to ask. Must have been a mix up in the shop, wink wink. | An aunt gave me aftershave but it looked like it wasn’t in the original box. I only noticed later on Christmas Day that the bottle said “tester” on it. How did she acquire that from a shop? I never had the heart to ask. Must have been a mix up in the shop, wink wink. |
| Scott Mills is an MS Society ambassador | Scott Mills is an MS Society ambassador |
| Jonathan Dimbleby, radio and TV presenter | Jonathan Dimbleby, radio and TV presenter |
| Not so long ago I was sent a Christmas hamper from a generous TV company. It contained smoked salmon. Unhappily, it was delayed in transit. It stank so strongly that I could not get the smell of it out of my nostrils long after we threw it away. Smoked salmon has never tasted the same again! | Not so long ago I was sent a Christmas hamper from a generous TV company. It contained smoked salmon. Unhappily, it was delayed in transit. It stank so strongly that I could not get the smell of it out of my nostrils long after we threw it away. Smoked salmon has never tasted the same again! |
| Paddy McGuinness, comedian and TV presenter | Paddy McGuinness, comedian and TV presenter |
| A foot spa. When I was seven I was playing in the snow and my feet were freezing. They were advertising foot spas on telly and I went ‘Oooooh I’d love to dip my feet in one of them’. I was seven. Seven years later, my mum’s gone, “Oh I know what he wants!” | A foot spa. When I was seven I was playing in the snow and my feet were freezing. They were advertising foot spas on telly and I went ‘Oooooh I’d love to dip my feet in one of them’. I was seven. Seven years later, my mum’s gone, “Oh I know what he wants!” |
| Dan Snow, TV presenter and historian | Dan Snow, TV presenter and historian |
| When I was a kid I asked for a Millennium Falcon and got … an Admiral Ackbar action figure. Brutal. | When I was a kid I asked for a Millennium Falcon and got … an Admiral Ackbar action figure. Brutal. |
| Dan supports Beanstalk | Dan supports Beanstalk |
| Paul Copley, actor | Paul Copley, actor |
| Some years ago my hugely generous, much-loved and missed auntie, believing London to be a den of thieves, designed, and made, an extremely secure script bag. Security derived from restricted access. The bag was roomy at the bottom and then tapered to a tube – a mini elephant’s trunk – which wrapped around the body of the bag. Unfortunately, it was impossible to put anything much into it, and, importantly, to retrieve anything out of it that was larger than a small apple! Great concept, but useful only for scripts crumpled to the size of an apple! | Some years ago my hugely generous, much-loved and missed auntie, believing London to be a den of thieves, designed, and made, an extremely secure script bag. Security derived from restricted access. The bag was roomy at the bottom and then tapered to a tube – a mini elephant’s trunk – which wrapped around the body of the bag. Unfortunately, it was impossible to put anything much into it, and, importantly, to retrieve anything out of it that was larger than a small apple! Great concept, but useful only for scripts crumpled to the size of an apple! |
| Paul Copley supports Cats Protection | Paul Copley supports Cats Protection |
| Kim Wilde, singer and gardener | Kim Wilde, singer and gardener |
| It’s a close run thing between the magnificent case of Barolo that arrived just after I had triumphantly and rather smugly declared that I was going to have a dry January. And the homemade plum jam given to me by a neighbour and which, when opened, brought with it the devastating realisation that I wasn’t Hertfordshire’s Queen of Homemade Jam after all. | It’s a close run thing between the magnificent case of Barolo that arrived just after I had triumphantly and rather smugly declared that I was going to have a dry January. And the homemade plum jam given to me by a neighbour and which, when opened, brought with it the devastating realisation that I wasn’t Hertfordshire’s Queen of Homemade Jam after all. |
| Amanda Lamb, TV presenter | Amanda Lamb, TV presenter |
| It’s a tough call between a pair of Le Creuset oven gloves, a dress-up FBI outfit (never worn!) or this year’s early present, a Le Creuset rubber trivet, all bought by my darling husband! | It’s a tough call between a pair of Le Creuset oven gloves, a dress-up FBI outfit (never worn!) or this year’s early present, a Le Creuset rubber trivet, all bought by my darling husband! |
| Amanda supports Age International’s ethical gift shop Cows ‘n’ Things | Amanda supports Age International’s ethical gift shop Cows ‘n’ Things |
| Shakin’ Stevens, rock singer | Shakin’ Stevens, rock singer |
| Those given seemingly without thought by those who should have known better. A pair of gloves three sizes too big that promptly slipped off my hands into an icy cold puddle; a scarf that was so long you would trip over it at every step, and a ticket to the London Eye, when they know I hate heights. Having said that, with any gifts that are sent with love and kindness from someone that cares, there isn’t really such a thing as a “bad” present! | Those given seemingly without thought by those who should have known better. A pair of gloves three sizes too big that promptly slipped off my hands into an icy cold puddle; a scarf that was so long you would trip over it at every step, and a ticket to the London Eye, when they know I hate heights. Having said that, with any gifts that are sent with love and kindness from someone that cares, there isn’t really such a thing as a “bad” present! |
| Shakey supports The Salvation Army | Shakey supports The Salvation Army |
| Fiona Cairns, baker | Fiona Cairns, baker |
| My Scottish great-grandfather sent me a plastic iron and miniature ironing board. I was hugely insulted as it was for a three-year-old and it felt totally inappropriate – being a grown-up six-year-old! Then there was the year of my non-Christmas present from my husband – he never has been allowed to forget it! A bunch of dyed blue chrysanthemums and glittery red carnations, cellophane wrapped and picked up from the petrol station is the worst gift I have been given. For some reason, they lasted for weeks! | My Scottish great-grandfather sent me a plastic iron and miniature ironing board. I was hugely insulted as it was for a three-year-old and it felt totally inappropriate – being a grown-up six-year-old! Then there was the year of my non-Christmas present from my husband – he never has been allowed to forget it! A bunch of dyed blue chrysanthemums and glittery red carnations, cellophane wrapped and picked up from the petrol station is the worst gift I have been given. For some reason, they lasted for weeks! |
| Fiona supports Wallace & Gromit’s BIG Bake | Fiona supports Wallace & Gromit’s BIG Bake |
| Johnny Ball, TV presenter | Johnny Ball, TV presenter |
| I was very busy appearing in panto and had about an hour to rush out and get a Christmas present for my wife. I ended up buying her a war phone. She opened it, took one look and threw it straight back at me! And I remember, as a child, we were quite poor and my mum went out to buy a turkey but came back with a rabbit. It took her until New Year’s Eve to pluck it. There was fluff everywhere! | I was very busy appearing in panto and had about an hour to rush out and get a Christmas present for my wife. I ended up buying her a war phone. She opened it, took one look and threw it straight back at me! And I remember, as a child, we were quite poor and my mum went out to buy a turkey but came back with a rabbit. It took her until New Year’s Eve to pluck it. There was fluff everywhere! |
| Phil Spencer, TV property presenter | Phil Spencer, TV property presenter |
| I think it would have to be a CD of popular Christmas songs I was given one year. I love them probably way more than most people, but come present-opening time under the tree on Christmas Day I’d had three weeks of listening to the same old songs and, by that stage, I was pretty sick of them! It never got played. | I think it would have to be a CD of popular Christmas songs I was given one year. I love them probably way more than most people, but come present-opening time under the tree on Christmas Day I’d had three weeks of listening to the same old songs and, by that stage, I was pretty sick of them! It never got played. |
| Julia Bradbury, TV presenter | Julia Bradbury, TV presenter |
| Many moons ago an ex-boyfriend gave me a massive box for Christmas. I was so excited, but this turned to major disappointment when I opened it – because it was a Magimix food processor! This did not blend well in to my Christmas. | Many moons ago an ex-boyfriend gave me a massive box for Christmas. I was so excited, but this turned to major disappointment when I opened it – because it was a Magimix food processor! This did not blend well in to my Christmas. |