What the rich and famous are up to this Christmas

20 Dec 2007

When it comes to making plans for the holiday season celebrities certainly don't do things by halves. And from glamorous get-aways to extravagant parties 2007 will be no exception.

Aspen is a festive destination favoured by many celebs, including diva Mariah Carey and actors Will Smith and Robert De Niro. This year, model Heidi Klum and her musician husband Seal will be among the famous faces hitting the slopes of the upmarket ski retreat. Also planning to spend Christmas in the resort are Antonio Banderas and his wife Melanie Griffith. The couple will then jet off to Antonio's Spanish homeland to visit family there.

Prince William's girlfriend Kate Middleton has a very different seasonal ambiance on the cards. She'll be jetting off to the Caribbean for a family break in sun-drenched Barbados.

Not all celebrities are heading off on hols, though. Desperate Housewives star Marcia Cross and her husband Tom Mahoney, whose Christmas is set to be extra special after the birth of their twins, plan to spend the festive season at home. "It's our first Christmas together as a family," says the flame-haired star, who welcomed girls Eden and Savannah earlier this year. "Just all kids, all day. It's just fun!"

Also looking forward to spending quality time with her young children is Britney Spears. The pop princess is planning an extravagant winter wonderland themed party at her Malibu mansion - complete with live reindeer and pretend snow - for sons Sean Preston, two, and one-year-old Jayden James.

Christmas will also be a family affair in the Depp household, with Pirates Of The Caribbean star Johnny planning to "…wait for Santa Claus" with his girlfriend Vanessa Paradis and their two children eight-year-old Lily-Rose and Jack, five.

Another celebrity dad, TV chef Jamie Oliver, will be sticking to what he does best on Christmas day. "I'll be doing the cooking," he reveals. "I'm having a lovely, tasty family Christmas back at home in Essex with the whole clan."