I'm often presenting sport without a man around - the women have it covered'

Gabby Logan on flourishing in a traditionally male industry, coping with an empty nest and cooking the perfect Christmas dinner

- LAUREN MORRIS

Gabby Logan is preparing for a full house on Christmas Day as she and husband Kenny are hosting both of their families at their Buckinghamshire home. Their 19-year-old twins Reuben and Lois will be there for the big day, along with Gabby’s brother Jordan and his family, her mother and Kenny’s mother, too.

But TV presenter Gabby says the sporting family are not getting to spend a huge amount of time together this festive season. After rustling up the Logans’ roast dinner, she will be heading straight back to work, while her rugby player son, who plays for Northampton Saints, has commitments of his own.

“I’m working on Boxing Day,” Gabby sighs. “I’m presenting the Liverpool v Leicester Premier League game, and then I’m working the day after that presenting Arsenal v Ipswich. And my son – because he plays rugby – has just told us he’s arriving by train on Christmas Eve morning and leaving on Boxing Day. So our time together is going to be really short.”

But Gabby is used to having her Christmases cut short thanks to Kenny’s rugby career and her dad Terry Yorath having been a professional footballer.

“Everyone has their commitments. I grew up with that as my dad was a footballer. He would often leave after lunch on Christmas Day,” she says. “And being married to Kenny, Christmases were often quite short as he might have a match on Boxing Day, and now we’ve got it with our son as well.”

The 51-year-old, who is presenting her 12th BBC Sports Personality Of The Year Awards this month, is on kitchen duty this Christmas, and she says she’s nailed the dinner preparations now.

“I always try to prep as much as possible beforehand so I’m not stressed on Christmas Day, but it never works out,” she laughs. “I’ll have made 19 different types of vegetables – and then at two in the afternoon, when we’re eating at four, my daughter will say, ‘Are you not doing Yorkshire puddings?’ So then I’m making Yorkshire pudding batter!