Chrissie Swan - 'It's a whole new era for me'

With her kids entering their own new life stages and a career that has never been stronger, next year Chrissie Swan is preparing to do something out of the ordinary: She's doing something just for herself.

- TIFFANY DUNK

There are people who say that Christmas is their favourite time of the year. And then there's Chrissie Swan...

Below: Chrissie’s natural enthusiasm is especially apparent at Christmas time. The joyful radio and TV host particularly loves decorations and selecting the perfect gifts.

At her house, the tree is up well before the ‘official’ date of December 1, weighed down with lights and long-loved ornaments. The door and walls are festooned with wreaths, festive bows, personalised Santa sacks and assorted decorations. When her kids were small enough not to have any choice in the matter, she would dress them in tiny reindeer or pudding outfits.

“Leo was born on November 25 and I remember those long nights with a brand-new baby and sitting in the living room in a dark house, just watching the Christmas lights,” Chrissie says now of her sentimentality for the season. “They'd soothe him, he loved them. So I always have the Christmas lights up.”

She seemed a natural choice for the star of The Weekly’s annual Christmas cover. Yet, when the popular Nova 100 radio host received our request, she was so sure it must be a mistake she rang her agent to check if her eyes were deceiving her.

“I couldn’t believe it,” she says, shaking her head again in disbelief. “The iconic Christmas issue cover? I love Christmas so much and it’s always joyous to see The Australian Women’s Weekly with that gorgeous big red cover on magazine stands. It’s a signal Christmas is just around the corner. Like, ‘Yes, it’s happening again!’”