I absolutely love CHRISTMAS!"

Dame Helen Mirren on her perfect day and why she never asks for presents

As the nights get longer and winter draws in, there’s one thing that Helen Mirren begins looking forward to. ‘I love looking around and seeing all the shop windows with their amazing decorations,’ the actor, 77, says of the festive season in London. ‘It’s great to be in the city for Christmas – I love the way the houses start lighting up.’

The legendary star of stage and screen admits that she ‘absolutely loves Christmas’, and is the first in her neighbourhood to put up her festive lights. ‘They usually go out about a month before the big day,’ she explains. ‘But it’s very important to take them down after Christmas because that’s the whole point. They’re there for Christmas, not Easter!’

And while she may love Christmas in London, it’s not always the case that Helen and her husband – American film director Taylor Hackford – get to spend the holidays in the UK. ‘I very often spend it in Italy because we have a place in Puglia that we love,’ she explains, adding, ‘So we’re often with our Italian friends, getting to understand the Italian traditions. It’s very interesting how countries have completely different ways of doing things.’