Phillip Schofield reveals what we should and shouldn’t buy this Christmas

Phillip Schofield on the best toys, gadgets and food and drink this festive season

Phillip Schofield next this week with a new three-part run of ITV’s How To Spend It Well At Christmas, which once again sees the This Morning star testing the best toys, gadgets and food and drink to reveal what we should definitely buy for the 25th December and what’s a waste of money.

Here, Phillip Schofield tells TV Times How to Spend it Well at Christmas…

TV Times: What do you love about How To Spend It Well?

Phillip Schofield: “It’s fun and helpful. Last Christmas people said, ‘This is brilliant, I’ve sorted all my presents.’ And today someone on Twitter said, ‘Please tell me it’s coming back, because I haven’t bought anything yet!’”

TVT: The first episode looks at toys, what stood out for you?

PS: “I tried some Segway e-skates, which were great, but the fun police have stopped them being used in parks! Riding on a giant toy unicorn was fun too. We also look at Poopsie Unicorn, which poos glitter and you carry the unicorn poo around in a keyring. It’s absurd but each to their own!”

TVT: Which gadgets you tested do you want in your stocking?

PS: “I have to crawl under the tree to turn off my Christmas lights but a smart plug turns them off at the touch of a button so I’m having one of them. Also, I’m a wine fan and we found a magnetic decanter cleaner that’s cheap and effective and if there isn’t one in my stocking I’ll be disappointed!”

TVT: You also have celebrities helping you road test products don't you?

PS: “Yes the Emmerdale gang had a ball tasting food and drink and we have Gok Wan and his dog Dolly testing pet toys. There’s a clip that goes on top of your phone and you put a ball in it and the dog is immediately interested so you get the best dog pictures. Dolly adored it.”

TVT: Is it odd watching your This Morning co-host Holly Willoughby in the jungle with Dec on I’m A Celebrity?!

PS: “We’re all good mates so it’s not weird. But Holly’s terrified of everything, that’s why I’m watching! Joe Swash told me, ‘I hope she realises with the live tasks, when they release the bugs, it’s like a moving carpet advancing towards you.’ Unfortunately she’d gone by the time I heard that so I couldn’t warn her!”

How To Spend It Well At Christmas with Phillip Schofield airs on Tuesday 27 November at 8pm on ITV

Caren has been a journalist specializing in TV for almost two decades and is a Senior Features Writer for TV Times, TV & Satellite Week and What’s On TV magazines and she also writes for What to Watch.

Over the years, she has spent many a day in a muddy field or an on-set catering bus chatting to numerous stars on location including the likes of Olivia Colman, David Tennant, Suranne Jones, Jamie Dornan, Dame Judi Dench and Sir Derek Jacobi as well as Hollywood actors such as Glenn Close and Kiefer Sutherland.

Caren will happily sit down and watch any kind of telly (well, maybe not sci-fi!), but she particularly loves period dramas like Call the Midwife, Downton Abbey and The Crown and she’s also a big fan of juicy crime thrillers from Line of Duty to Poirot.

In her spare time, Caren enjoys going to the cinema and theatre or curling up with a good book.