Jamie Oliver prepares family feast the night before Christmas

Los Angeles - Jamie Oliver loves to "smash out" Christmas dinner on his own.

The TV chef - who has children Poppy, 11, Daisy, 10, Petal, four, and Buddy, three, with wife Jools - begins preparing the festive meal on Christmas Eve so he has much less to do on the big day and is able to relax and enjoy himself.

He said: "I take the cooking. I do the meat, gravy, potatoes, and all the ancillary stuff myself and then I get my guests to bring a vegetable dish each and contribute.

"I like to do it the day before, get my head round it and then smash it out on Christmas Day so everyone can enjoy it and I can relax."

Jamie says the family tuck into the same meal every year added: "It's traditional, always - we like the same thing all the time, I don't change things too much. Turkey, goose, roast potatoes, all the trimmings. About 10 vegetables from the garden, a nice Christmas pudding and trifle."