Phillip Schofield's best-ever Christmas gift was a flag pole.

Phillip Schofield

Phillip Schofield

The 'This morning' host was "utterly thrilled" with the present from his wife Steph - with whom he has daughters Molly, 24, and 21-year-old Ruby - and it now forms an important part of their annual festive traditions.

He said: "The best gift I've ever received was actually a flagpole from Steph. I was utterly thrilled with it. We put a message up for Santa every Christmas. It reads, 'Santa, please stop here'. Another lovely gift was a toy zoo my dad made me when I was 10. He was brilliant at making things."

And the 55-year-old presenter always looks forward to opening a gift from his 'This morning' co-host Holly Willoughby.

He told HELLO! magazine: "Holly is fantastic at buying presents for other people. One year she bought me an ice-cube maker that made perfectly round ice cubes. It was very smart. She started buying her Christmas presents in April, whereas I usually resort to alcohol for people. One of the best gifts I ever got her was a set of computerised cocktail-making scales."

But he's hoping this year he doesn't have to go out shopping for his friend.

He said: "Giovanni [Pernice] from 'Strictly Come Dancing' came in to talk to us at 'This Morning' the other week with Debbie McGee.

"Holly is a massive 'Strictly' fan and I made sure she had a little dance with him.

"She thanked me afterwards and said it was like her Christmas present had come early - so maybe I don't need to buy her anything else."