Why Kris Smith sends his English relatives a pic of him in Speedos every Christmas
Everybody celebrates Christmas differently and celebrities are no exception. From pool parties to sending pictures in their budgie smugglers to overseas relatives, these Aussie celebrities reveal the weird and wonderful ways they celebrate the festive season.
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As we hang the decorations and turn up the carols, here’s how some hometown stars are celebrating with Christmas traditions old and new.
GORGI COGHLAN
The start of December is always a special time for The Project co-host Gorgi Coghlan, her husband Simon and their eight-year-old daughter Molly-Rose, who make sure they have a real tree with all the trimmings ready to go.
“We take Christmas decorations very seriously,” Coghlan says.
“We also love our chocolate advent calendar, a wooden house counting down the days until Santa arrives, and an Elf on the Shelf who gets up to lots of cheeky mischief on our farm.”
They also love Christmas baking, especially making shortbread together from a recipe Coghlan first made with her mum and nana when she was a child.
“It’s super easy and Molly-Rose gets to cut out the shapes and add Smarties and 100s-and-1000s to them,” Coghlan says.
“We put the shortbread in bags with a ribbon as a gift made with love and hugs — perfect for her teacher, family and friends.”
Christmas Day is usually spent in Ballarat on the family farm with an alfresco lunch. But this year, after a busy year inhospitality launching the Provincial Hotel in Ballarat and its fine-diner Lola, the family is heading to Japan to let someoneelse do the cooking.
Music is also important in the home. After Coghlan came third on TV hit The Masked Singer as the “monster” in October, it gave the classically trained singer the push she needed to hold her first solo shows at Prahran’s Chapel Off Chapel, singing hits from artists including Adele and Aretha Franklin with a five-piece band.
VINCENT FANTAUZZO
Artist and four-time Archibald Prize People’s Choice winner Vincent Fantauzzo’s thoughts of Christmas started early this year when he was asked to reimagine the carol The Twelve Days of Christmas for a CBD mural project involving 12 artists over 12 days.
There was no way his sons Luca, 9, and Valentino, 4, would let him pass up the opportunity and this week he painted his sectionof the mural, which he says was inspired by the imaginative way his family builds Lego given he hates sticking tothe instructions.
“It’s suggestive of a child’s mind being magical and open and free,” Fantauzzo says.
This year he’s taking his family, including actor wife Asher Keddie, to the Macedon Ranges for “a big barbecue with lots of children running around” where they’ll exchange Kris Kringle presents.
Back in Melbourne, they’ll then discover new things to do in their hometown, a Christmas tradition inspired by visiting friendswho always seemed to find interesting things they, as locals, hadn’t picked up on.
Fantauzzo is also keen to teach his sons that for all the excitement of Christmas, there are people who can feel sad or lonelyat this time and who might not be as lucky as them.
“We’re trying to make the kids aware of that and show them they can do something for someone else. When you do something forother people, you also feel good.”
He loves that a lot of businesses shut down for Christmas, which he says is unusual in many parts of the world.
“In Melbourne, even the most important people with the most important jobs stop to spend time with their families.”
SEE THE LEGO MURAL AT KNOX PLACE, NEAR MELBOURNE CENTRAL, UNTIL DECEMBER 30
KRIS SMITH
Arriving in Australia from England in December 2008, model and former rugby league player Kris Smith can still remember feelingout of place hearing Christmas carols in 40C heat.
“I thought I had sunstroke listening to Bing Crosby’s White Christmas in a shop in St Kilda,” Smith says.
“Now, I send my family back in England photos of myself in Speedos to let them know what they’re missing out on. I love torub in
the warmer weather, the backyard barbecues and the seafood and summer fruits we have here at Christmas.”
An English Christmas would traditionally be his mother cooking up a big Christmas dinner, after sending Smith and his father out in the cold and down to the pub for a few pints of beer so they wouldn’t pick at the food she was preparing.
This Christmas, Smith will balance any overindulging at the Fitstop gym in South Yarra he recently bought. He’s looking forwardto celebrating the season with his one-year-old daughter Mila and partner Sarah Boulazeris, who is expecting the couple’ssecond child this month.
“We took Mila to the Myer Christmas windows with the Gumnut Babies theme,” says Smith, who’s notched up this tenth year asan ambassador for the department store.
“Seeing her face when the windows were revealed was priceless. We also did our first-ever family photo with Santa in Myer’s Giftorium, and loved it.”
SEE MYER’S CHRISTMAS WINDOWS AT THE BOURKE ST STORE UNTIL THE FIRST WEEK OF JANUARY. MYER.COM.AU
ROB “MILLSY” MILLS
Singer and actor Rob Mills likens his Christmas experience to “a kind of Aussie Thanksgiving” for his family, friends andpartner, ABC television reporter Georgie Tunny.
“I always like to take stock of the year around Christmas,” he explains.
“It’s great having a proper catch-up with everyone and reminiscing about the year that was.”
His plans for the holidays always revolve around spending time anywhere there’s water. His favourite beaches are on the Mornington Peninsula because of fond memories from childhood summers, especially the Rye summer carnival.
“We’re spoiled for choice in Victoria and I love the heat, beach weather, daylight savings, big chunks of seasoned lamb onthe barbecue and the Boxing Day Test at the MCG with my brothers — a wonderful family tradition,” Mills says.
“What’s not to love about a Melbourne Christmas?”
He got into the Christmas spirit early this year thanks to rehearsing Christmas carols for his appearance as host and performer at December 15’s Carols at Como Park.
“My favourite carol is Happy Xmas (War Is Over),” Mills says.
“It’s my yearly reminder to give thanks and reflect on the year just gone and I love the sentiment of the lyrics: ‘Let’s hope it’s a good one, without any fear’.”
It’s been a busy year for Mills, who was promoted to a full-time cast member on Neighbours and finished second as the “wolf” on The Masked Singer.
CAROLS AT COMO PARK, DECEMBER 15. STONNINGTON.VIC.GOV.AU/CHRISTMAS
ELLA HOOPER
For singer Ella Hooper, who was raised in rural Violet Town, Christmas means the smell of eucalyptus seeping out of gum leavesin the heat, pool parties, too much socialising and lots of LLDs — or “little lie downs”.
After a year spent mostly on the road performing with her band Killing Heidi, reformed after a 10-year break, she’s lookingforward to some time off at home.
“I like to become a bush babe once more, chilling in my peaceful hometown,” Hooper says. “This year, it will also be aboutmy new baby niece Zoe. It’s going to be nice to have a new face in the family and a new cute little person to dress up all Christmassy.”
The family has also had to deal with Hooper’s mum Helen’s breast cancer, but this Christmas they will be celebrating thatshe’s out of the woods and doing well.
Hooper’s bare-all TV appearance on The All New Monty: Ladies Night in September became a special moment in the year to help raise awareness for breast cancer.
Helping her into the festive spirit, Hooper has been learning Christmas carols in preparation to host and perform at tomorrow night’s Christmas at Central Park in Malvern East.
CHRISTMAS AT CENTRAL PARK, DECEMBER 8.