This Morning viewers were left split down the middle on Wednesday when asked if it’s ever okay to charge relatives for Christmas dinner.
Holly and Phil were joined on the sofa by mum of four Gemma, who began charging her extended family to attend the festival meal around ten years ago.
She charges them £30 each which must be paid in advance.
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Gemma, who is eight months pregnant with her fourth child, said she hosts 12 to 16 people every Christmas.
She charges the adults, but not the children.
Gemma explained she’d been out of pocket the first time she hosted the dinner so tried various ways to get around it such as asking people to bring a dish, but they’d forget and she’d be scrambling around on Christmas Eve to buy ingredients.
Contributing dishes is no longer an option, she said, as her son has severe allergies and she has to control the cooking.
She also said two of her relatives work in the NHS on Christmas Day and come straight to her home from work, meaning bringing a dish isn’t convenient.
For the £30 costs, guests get a starter, main course, puddings, cheeseboard, alcohol – including champagne – and a present under the tree. Their kids’ dinner costs and gifts are included in the £30 price.
It used to be £10 per adult but the cost went up as the kids became adults and alcohol consumption increased each year.
“People don’t have to come if they don’t want,” pointed out Gemma, who also said it was her relatives who first suggested they pay towards the costs and none of them have an issue with it.
All the money she is given goes towards food.
Fellow guest, author Kathy Lette, however, was astounded someone could charge relatives for Christmas dinner.
She said: “I think you’re making Scrooge look like Mary Poppins! If I charged my family I’d have to put myself up for adoption! Christmas is about sharing and caring and being generous and you’re bringing money into the occasion.”
Holly and Phil jumped in to Gemma’s defence at that point, saying she is sharing and opening up her home.
Kathy said she still couldn’t charge relatives for Christmas dinner, and said in her family whoever isn’t hosting would bring the wine or do the washing up.
Phil felt Gemma and her relatives had come to an arrangement that works for them and nobody should judge them for it, while Holly said she’s spending Christmas at her sister’s house this year and Gemma’s tale had made her text her sister to ask what she could bring or do.
Naturally, there was a huge response on social media on the topic of charging loved ones for Christmas dinner.
Some were firmly on Gemma’s side.
But others felt it was totally against the spirit of Christmas.
Others suggested a good compromise could be asking different guests to bring contributions to the table – although obviously in Gemma’s case this doesn’t work because of her son’s allergies.
Some thought taking turns to host the Christmas dinner was ideal.
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A controversial topic! What do YOU think?
This Morning airs weekdays at 10.30am on ITV.