Dickie Wood aka Buttons

What is your favourite thing about Christmas?

One thing I always enjoy is the build-up to Christmas Day on Christmas Eve. All the family are together preparing food, wrapping last-minute presents. It really is a special time.

What is your favourite Christmas song and why?

It has to be Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree. It’s in one of my favourite films of all time, Home Alone. It always gets me in the mood and it’s a good song to have a cheeky dance too.

What is your ultimate Christmas movie and why?

Home Alone!!! It always gets me into the Christmas spirit and takes me back to my childhood.

What is the worst present you’ve ever received and who gave it to you?

Hmmm tough one as I’m always grateful when receiving presents. One year Santa bought me lots of clothes and NONE of them fitted me. He got the wrong sizes so they were never actually worn. HAHA.

What is the greatest Christmas gift you’ve ever had?

Greatest gift EVER has to be when I got a bike for the first time. I’ll never forget it as I always wanted a bike.

Christmas pudding or Christmas cake?

I'm not a fan of either. But if I had to choose, it would probably be pudding!

If you could be Santa for a day, and shimmy down anyone’s chimney incognito, where would you go and what would you do?

Definitely Ant & Dec! I'd love to meet those boys. I'd love to present with them for a day. They seem to have so much fun on the job and that's what it should be about!

Abigail Matthews aka Fairy Godmother.

What is your favourite thing about Christmas?

Celebrating all the good things with family and friends.

What is your favourite Christmas song and why?

A Spaceman Came Travelling, because I've always loved the story and melody.

What is your ultimate Christmas movie and why?

Jack Frost, the story is sad but poignant and I love the country-style music.

What is the worst present you've ever received and who gave it to you?

I'm not sure - I'm easily pleased!

What is the greatest Christmas gift you've ever had?

I've had lots of lovely gifts, so I couldn't choose but I've asked for a private jet this year so we'll see if Santa can deliver!

Christmas pudding or Christmas cake?

BOTH! But if I had to choose it would be pudding.

If you could be Santa for a day, and shimmy down anyone’s chimney incognito, where would you go and what would you do?

I would shimmy down David Attenborough's chimney and talk to him about all his travels and experiences.

Louie Westwood aka Ugly Sister Betty

What is your favourite thing about Christmas?

All the Christmas food! And seeing lots of family and friends - and of course it wouldn't be Christmas without a pantomime! When I was growing up we would always go to watch the pantomime at the Birmingham Hippodrome every Christmas Eve with all my extended family which really got us in the Christmas spirit.

What is your favourite Christmas song and why?

I love Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas Is You. I also really love Michael Buble’s Christmas album, I can't not sing along!

What is your ultimate Christmas movie and why?

I watched Arthur Christmas with my brother in the cinema a few years ago and that was a lot of fun, great festive funny family film. Love Actually would have to be up there as well but I'm not sure if that technically counts as a Christmas movie. I think it's really clever and has a lovely message.

What is the worst present you’ve ever received and who gave it to you?

One year my brother gave me a Cadbury selection box for Christmas, which normally would be a great present. Now, I love chocolate so I obviously started eating it straight away until I realised it was out of date. It was so disappointing that I had to eat his 'in date' selection box to make myself feel better.

What is the greatest Christmas gift you’ve ever had?

I know they say a dog’s for life, not just for Christmas but we had a puppy for Christmas when I was younger. We went and collected her a few days after Christmas and she was the best Christmas present anyone could ever wish for.

Christmas pudding or Christmas cake?

I'm more of a chocolate Yule log fan, but after eating so much chocolate or Christmas dinner I'm normally too full for pudding anyway.

If you could be Santa for a day, and shimmy down anyone’s chimney incognito, where would you go and what would you do?

Mary Berry hands down! I bet she'd leave a great Victoria sponge for Santa at the foot of her chimney! And she has great taste in blazers so I bet she'd have some lovely presents I could snoop through whilst raiding her kitchen.

Cole Dunn aka Dandini.

What is your favourite thing about Christmas?

My favourite thing about Christmas has to be the food, although I'm not so sure I'll be saying that when it's January!

What is your favourite Christmas song and why?

Fairytale of New York has to be my favourite, it feels so Christmassy and has an Irish jig in it! They don't make them like that anymore.

What is your ultimate Christmas movie and why?

My favourite Christmas movie is Elf. I think I could watch that any time of year and it would still make me laugh. Will Ferrell is hilarious and who wouldn't want to be Buddy?!

What is the worst present you’ve ever received and who gave it to you?

An ex-girlfriend of mine once gave me a CD that not only did I already have, but there was no disk in the case!

What is the greatest Christmas gift you’ve ever had?

I remember getting the PlayStation 2 when I was about eight and crying with excitement, Santa did me well that year.

Christmas pudding or Christmas cake?

Is it okay to say neither? Does a Christmas cheesecake exist?

If you could be Santa for a day, and shimmy down anyone’s chimney incognito, where would you go and what would you do?

I think I’d like to shimmy my way down Gordon Ramsay's chimney, just to see if he gets as stressed over Christmas dinner as he manages to on TV. Then maybe stop off at Michelle Keegan's on the way home as I think that would make all my Christmases.

Ryan Thomas aka Prince Charming

What is your favourite thing about Christmas?

I love Christmas as it’s a special time of year to spend with the family. Over the years I’ve been so busy filming and working it’s always a welcome chance to spend time with all your loved ones. My daughter Scarlett is eight now so she still gets really excited, so it’s great to be a part of that, hanging stockings and surprising her with presents. And this year she gets to see me tread the boards in my panto debut, so I’m really excited.

What is your favourite Christmas song and why?

I love all the old classics but you can’t beat a bit of Bing Crosby singing White Christmas.

What is your ultimate Christmas movie and why?

Home Alone. I was a kid when it first came out and I watch it every year to get me in the festive spirit. Obviously a film about neglecting a child over the Christmas period isn’t very festive (!), but the ending is magical with Kevin’s family all reuniting in time for December the 25th. Even all these years on it’s still an amazing film.

What is the worst present you’ve ever received and who gave it to you?

It’s always my mum that gets me the worst present, and every year it's always socks and underwear in really dodgy colours and patterns that I never wear. She never learns!

What’s the greatest Christmas gift you’ve ever had?

It was probably my first bike when I was five or six. It was amazing and it had its own computer on the handle bars and loads of buttons that made noises. I went everywhere on that thing.

Christmas pudding or Christmas cake?

Christmas cake, every time.

If you could be Santa for a day, and shimmy down anyone’s chimney incognito, where would you go and what would you do?

If I could be Santa for the day, and could go back in time, I’d want to climb down the chimney of Michael Jackson. I’m an absolutely massive fan of his and it would be amazing to explore more about him and his legacy. He created so many amazing hit songs and was such a complex man I’d definitely want to snoop around his house, try on that white glove and moonwalk around.

David Ashley aka Ugly Sister Brenda

What is your favourite thing about Christmas?

Pantomime at the Wyvern Theatre of course!

What is your favourite Christmas song and why?

Seriously too many to mention!! I love a good Christmas song!!

What is your ultimate Christmas movie and why?

Miracle on 34th Street - such a beautiful story. Love Nightmare before Christmas too - am a massive Tim Burton fan.

What is the worst present you’ve ever received and who gave it to you?

My tax bill - HMRC

What is the greatest Christmas gift you’ve ever had?

Our wee boy Archie.

Christmas pudding or Christmas cake?

Christmas cake every time - one of our best friends Yvette Glover makes it for us every year and we can't get enough of it. It barely lasts a week it's so good!

If you could be Santa for a day, and shimmy down anyone’s chimney incognito, where would you go and what would you do?

Barack Obama to shake his hand and say a very big thank you!

Victoria Farley aka Cinderella

What is your favourite thing about Christmas?

Christmas jumpers.

What is your favourite Christmas song and why?

Driving Home for Christmas, because every year it comes on the radio on Christmas Eve as I am driving home from whichever show I am in.

What is your ultimate Christmas movie and why?

Muppet Christmas Carol, because I love the Muppets.

What is the worst present you’ve ever received and who gave it to you?

Giant knickers from my grandma.

What is the greatest Christmas gift you’ve ever had?

My dog.

Christmas pudding or Christmas cake?

Cake.

If you could be Santa for a day, and shimmy down anyone’s chimney incognito, where would you go and what would you do?

Pauline Quirke because she's brilliant, hilarious and I bet she puts on a mega Christmas spread!