Leighton Meester enjoys a Christmas Day Jacuzzi.

Adam Brody  and Leighton Meester enjoy a relaxed family Christmas

Adam Brody and Leighton Meester enjoy a relaxed family Christmas

The former ‘Gossip Girl’ actress – who has Arlo, seven, and a three-year-old son with husband Adam Brody – prioritises spending quality time with her family and enjoying home “comforts” as well as “typical” Los Angeles pastimes during the festive season.

Asked how she spends Christmas, she told Best magazine: “We’re usually in LA, so it’s never snowing!

“A lot of times we will go to the beach.

“The last couple of years – he’s a toddler now – I’ve had a baby in tow, so I don’t do a big meal. I usually order food but this time I feel like making a big, fancy meal.

“We get up and open presents to check if Santa comes – and of course, he always does.

“It’s just like your typical LA Christmas really, sometimes we’ll have the Jacuzzi going. I know this is so not a traditional Christmas, especially compared to that in the UK!

“It’s just really the one day of the year when nowhere is open so you’ve got to make the most of the comforts filled with food and watching movies.”

Leighton can currently be seen in festive movie ‘Exmas’ and she thinks the Christmas celebrations her character Ali would have would be very different to that of her most famous alter ego, ‘Gossip Girl’s Blair Waldorf.

She said: “Well… Ali is very down to earth. She enjoys baking and being cosy with family and playing board games and being wholesome.

“Blair would have chefs and butlers involved for sure, pretty extravagant.”