'I couldn’t bear for him to grow up without Christmas memories' – why Ranvir Singh didn’t have a tree until her son was born

Ranvir Singh is familiar face on our TV screens first thing. A regular presenter on Good Morning Britain and Lorraine, she is no stranger to very early mornings and little daylight. Which is why, when the festive period arrives, she often opts to go away for a much needed Vitamin D fix and to avoid the pressures and expectations that often arise this time of year.

Here she tells us about how Christmas was like for her as a child, and how she is redefining it now as an adult to ensure she and her son make lots of wonderful memories.

'I only start thinking about Christmas in December. I find it hard to plan ahead, partly because I never know until relatively late how many days I’ll have off. I also get a weird thrill from leaving things to the last minute!

'The first time I got a Christmas tree was when my son Tushaan was born in 2012. I couldn’t bear for him to grow up without Christmas memories. Now we always get a real tree at the start of December, and decorating it together is one of my favourite things.

'It wasn’t that Christmas was prohibited because of mum’s Sikh religion. Simply, mum had arrived in England from India in the 1960s and, not being Christian, she didn’t have any understanding of what Christmas meant.

'Sometimes we’d go and see my elder sister Bobbie but to Mum and I, Christmas just meant I was off school for a bit. Our house was never decorated with tinsel and we never had a tree. As a child, I definitely felt like I was missing out.

'A year ago, Tushaan and I went away by ourselves for the first time, to spend Christmas in Antigua. The festive period can be quite stressful, so although holidaying over Christmas was a bit controversial, I think it’s OK to be a little bit selfish at this time of year. We can get so caught up in trying to please everyone, often to the detriment of our own happiness. I’m in favour of doing whatever brings me and my son joy at Christmas.

'I’m a total convert to Christmas in the sunshine. I’ve worked early mornings for 13 years, so for half the year, it can be a challenge to see daylight. We did the Caribbean a couple of times and in 2019 went to Abu Dhabi, then in 2023 we spent Christmas in Scotland, which was lovely, but it didn’t give me the vitamin D hit!

'There’s nothing like spending the big day on the beach, snorkelling, swimming and looking for crabs. I take stocking-filler presents to open in the morning, then we enjoy a lunch where we’re waited on hand and foot. I’m aware it’s a privilege to spend Christmas this way because it’s not cheap, but after a childhood where Christmas was quite dry, it’s wonderful to do something really special for my son.

'Thailand is next on my Christmas-visit list, but this year we’re planning a family gathering in England because my niece Kyra is having a baby in December and we all want to be around.

'The best thing about that is Bobbie is a phenomenal host and cook. She literally takes control and does everything, so I can pretend to help and she won’t mind that I’m not actually doing anything!'

This article originally appeared in woman&home magazine - subscribe here.