Grant and Candice tell how they’ll be celebrating with their new twins.
With their cute-as-a-button pigeon pair set to be the undisputed stars of their family Christmas celebrations, Candice Alley and Grant Hackett have double cause to be thankful this festive season.
But the new parents do have a little confession to make: all they really want for Christmas is a good night’s sleep!
“I’d love to get a solid eight hours at the moment, but I could do with 23,” laughs Olympic swimming champion Grant.
“At the moment, we’re getting a few hours of broken sleep a night. I was up at 4.45am every morning during my swimming career, so it’s almost like I’m getting back to that again!”
Not that Grant or his singer-songwriter wife Candice, who welcomed their precious twins Charlize and Jagger into the world on September 11, are complaining.
“When you get the babies out of their cot in the middle of the night, their faces break into a smile as soon as they recognise you,” Candice says, insisting the interrupted sleep is quickly forgotten.
Having hung the baubles on their tree and ticked off all the items on their shopping list, a super-organised Candice and Grant are counting down the days to their famous lunch, when they’ll host their extended family.
“Christmas has always been our favourite time of the year,” Candice says. “It’s just a massive day of festive eating.
“Everyone helps out. It’s a mixture of my mum’s English cooking with my dad’s Italian cooking and my pavlova. So it’s the biggest lunch ever.”
“It’s so great when all the family get together on the day just to talk and have a good time,” says Grant. “No-one has to go to work. The world shuts down for the day, so everyone spends time with their loved ones, which is really what it should be all about.
“Now I’ll have an excuse over the next few years to go to Toys R Us and buy things that I want to play with,” quips the good natured athlete turned TV presenter. “That’s one of the best things – you never grow old!”
Little wonder, then, that Grant can’t wait until Charlize and Jagger are big enough to partake in the family’s festive season traditions.
“I’m sure Candice and I will be the sort of parents who leave carrots out for the reindeer and a glass of milk for Santa,” he grins.
“Next year, they’ll probably be pulling the decorations off the tree, but the year after that they may be able to help us decorate it.”
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