How South Australian celebrities are celebrating Christmas 2024
From watching A Muppets Christmas Carol to enjoying international celebrations, here’s what your favourite local celebrity has planned this Christmas.
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It’s the most wonderful time of the year – and even celebrities can’t help but get into the festive spirit.
Here’s how some of our favourite South Aussies have serious fun during the silly season.
Andrew ‘Cosi’ Costello
We are all home for Xmas this year and couldn’t be happier. Mind you Christmas Lunch is at our house which means my wife has already started deep cleaning the house. Then in the days leading up to Christmas Lunch she’ll be working that hard getting everything perfect that she’ll get really stressed and guess who she’ll take it out on?!? Ole Uncle Cosi. Honestly. Easier to book the family and grandmas into the Arkaba. Less stress. Now you could say “what if you helped her prepare the house” nah that’s boring. I’d rather just get yelled at. Jokes aside we will be smashing prawns and lamb. Christmas isn’t as much fun since my gastric sleeve cause now 75% of my stomach has been cut out. Meaning less room.
Champion Adelaide marathon runner Jessica Stenson
In Orroroo with my family – I’m looking forward to seeing all of the cousins together on Christmas morning. It’s no doubt going to be an early start!
Adelaide Cabaret Festival artistic director Virginia Gay
I’m London doing Cyrano, which is very thrilling, but also very cold and wet. I’ll be spending it with my sister and nephews who live here.
Paolo Sebastian fashion designer Paul Vasileff
We always do Christmas Eve at my parents and watch The Muppets Christmas Carol then Christmas Day will be at my brother and sister-in-law’s for lunch and then at my in-laws for dinner; they have relatives visiting from Italy so it will be even more exciting.
Channel 7 newsreader Rosanna Mangiarelli
The celebration starts on Christmas Eve for us. We try and get the kids to bed super early and we finish wrapping presents and enjoy a bottle of bubbles while watching Love Actually. Everyone rises mega early Christmas morning we unwrap gifts and go to the local church for a Christmas service. We then head to my mum and dad’s for an enormous Italian feast. Boxing Day is spent with hubby’s family.
Paramount A-League expert Bruce Djite
I have a great idea, but the reality is, I will probably just be supervising the kids as they swim all day in our new pool. With work slowing down at this time of year the Property Council office shuts for a few short weeks, so it is a great time to recharge and spend some quality family time together.
Channel 10 newsreader Kate Freebairn
Nick and I will be waking up to open presents with Airlie at our beach house at Aldinga Beach, then heading to Brighton for a big family lunch with our nearest and dearest.
Channel 7 football expert and AFLW legend Erin Phillips
19 people plus 3 dogs at our house.
Mix 102.3 breakfast host and Channel 10 sports presenter Max Burford
Across two days, we’ll tick off Dad’s family for lunch, my wife Eliza’s family for lunch and then Mum’s family for dinner.
WHAT IS YOUR DREAM CHRISTMAS DESTINATION?
South Aussie with Cosi host Andrew Costello
Since having kids we always dreamt of taking them to Lapland in Europe. The home of Christmas. We did that five years ago. And it didn’t disappoint. Father Christmas arrived in the town square Christmas Eve. On real reindeers! So cool. Kids on our shoulders as it snowed. We watched him wish everyone a merry Christmas. Then take off. Priceless. Well actually not priceless. Bloody expensive and everything’s overpriced there. But you only live once.
Paolo Sebastian fashion designer Paul Vasileff
Adelaide! My family and friends are so important to me I couldn’t imagine being away.
Champion Adelaide marathon runner Jessica Stenson
Anywhere that brings everyone together. I love it when the sun’s out and we get to enjoy the outdoors.
Channel 7 newsreader Rosanna Mangiarelli
Nothing quite beats being with my parents and sisters but New York is a close second. I’d also love to one day visit the Christkindlesmarkt in Nuremberg, Germany.
Channel 7 football expert and AFLW legend Erin Phillips
I’d love to go to New York for a white Christmas. My son Blake loves the movie Home Alone so he wants to go see 2 bad guys, a huge toy shop and a lady covered in pigeons.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE CHRISTMAS MEMORY AND WHY?
South Aussie with Cosi host Andrew ‘Cosi’ Costello
My favourite Christmas memory would be as a kid growing up in Kadina. As a family sitting around the tree Christmas morning. Handing out presents. It’s just such a beautiful time as a kid. Sooooo exciting. Our German Shepard named Satan (yes, Satan) only got let inside on special occasions like Christmas. So us kids thought that was epic.
Adelaide Cabaret Festival artistic director Virginia Gay
We’re not a very Christmassy family, we never have been … UNTIL my nephews were born and they LOVE it. So, I think I’ll remember the first Christmas I spent with my nephew when he slept in my bed with me cos he was so excited then woke up at 5am and brushed my hair with his hands and told me how beautiful I was until I got up and let him open Christmas presents. At 5:10am. I caved SO quickly.
Paolo Sebastian fashion designer Paul Vasileff
The Christmas just before we got married, I remember all of us being together as a family and how excited we were for the weeks ahead.
Champion Adelaide marathon runner Jessica Stenson
I have so many but it’s hard to beat my childhood memories of waking up in our home in Naracoorte / or at our grandparents’ home in Adelaide & racing out to see our Santa sacks under the tree on Christmas morning. I’m sure I’ll feel that same buzz seeing the excitement on our kids’ faces next Wednesday.
Channel 7 newsreader Rosanna Mangiarelli
Every Christmas has thankfully been very special, but it became a different type of magic when we had kids. Watching the wonderment through their eyes takes it to a whole new level.
Channel 10 newsreader Kate Freebairn
My best memories are from my childhood – waking up very, very early and running into our family lounge room to see all the gifts Santa had brought us, and then feasting on mum’s elaborate home cooked spread for lunch with my family. The simple things are the best!
Channel 7 football expert and AFLW legend Erin Phillips
Like most 13 year old girls I desperately wanted a bmx mongoose bike. Santa hid it out the back and I just remember being so excited when I saw it!
Mix 102.3 breakfast host and Channel 10 sports presenter Max Burford
Pretty hard to go past opening new Pokemon cards with my younger brother as kids then spending the next hour negotiating horribly one-sided trades to rip him off.
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO GET FROM SANTA FOR CHRISTMAS AND WHY?
South Aussie with Cosi host Andrew ‘Cosi’ Costello
You know it’s funny. I want for nothing. I don’t get into materialist possessions. I love experiences and see value in that over clothes and stuff like that. So I’m totally fine not getting any presents. In fact not a fan of opening presents cause I don’t like people looking at me when I’m opening them cause I can’t fake liking a present very well and I don’t want let them down. And yesss. I probably need to see a therapist about that 😂 That said I do use events like Christmas and my birthday to nudge Mrs Claus for some summer lovin'. Hardly ever works but you gotta be in it to win it.
Adelaide Cabaret Festival artistic director Virginia Gay
Are we still allowed to ask for world peace?
Paolo Sebastian fashion designer Paul Vasileff
I have absolutely everything I could possibly need, so I just hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!
Champion Adelaide marathon runner Jessica Stenson
I got a few of our favourite family photos printed for the wall this year.
Channel 7 newsreader Rosanna Mangiarelli
Jo Malone perfume, a pair of sneakers …. and I’ve also asked him for a piece of jewellery.
Paramount A-League expert Bruce Djite
I want to be able to switch off (even just a little) and enjoy as much quality time as possible with my family. As the kids grow up so fast (I know all parents say that), it is important to take a breath and the time to enjoy watching them grow, having great conversations and of course, playing all sorts of games – from soccer in the backyard to family board games, Nintendo and even imaginary games … Obviously, mainly soccer in the backyard.
Channel 10 newsreader Kate Freebairn
Now that we have a family of our own, I get the most joy from giving gifts, rather than receiving – but if I’m lucky – I’m crossing my fingers for a new pair of earrings.
Channel 7 football expert and AFLW legend Erin Phillips
One Christmas I would love for both Tracy’s family who live in the USA and my family to all be together. It would be the best Christmas ever!
Mix 102.3 breakfast host and Channel 10 sports presenter Max Burford
I’ve decided I want to become good at darts for no real reason so a request had been made to Santa for a nice dartboard.
Originally published as How South Australian celebrities are celebrating Christmas 2024
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