SHARING THE LOVE: 'Christmas is a time to look out for each other'

GMB presenter Charlotte Hawkins reveals what her late father taught her about the festive period and why it’s important to her

- MITYA UNDERWOOD

As a vicar’s daughter, Good Morning Britain’s Charlotte Hawkins knows a thing or two about the true meaning of Christmas. And as she prepares to officially kick off her festive season, she tell us she is determined to pass on her dad Frank’s teachings to her own daughter, Ella Rose – and us!

“I want to make sure she knows the importance of community and giving back at Christmas, because that’s what my dad taught me,” says Charlotte, who shares her eight-year-old daughter with her film and TV producer husband Mark Herbert.

“For my dad it was all about making sure that people in the community were OK. It was about looking out for each other, pulling together when times were tough, and making sure that no one was left out and no one went without. If everybody remembered that, I think the world would be a better place.”

Vicar Frank died in 2015 after a three-year battle with motor neurone disease (MND), and his presence is particularly missed at this time of year, especially when it comes to the sound of classical Christmas tunes.

“It’s actually lovely,” Charlotte says. “It all reminds me of my childhood and being in church, where my dad would be taking the services. So for me, yes, it’s a time of celebration, but it’s also a time to look out for each other and to share the love.”

The 48-year-old journalist and newsreader adds, “We’ll always go to a church service at Christmas, and visit our neighbours to check if anyone needs anything, and we’ve been gathering presents together for the shoebox appeal to go to Ukraine.