The Diary: Stars' very merry Xmas

It's Christmas Eve and as Kiwis prepare to open their presents and head to the beach, The Diary tracks how celebs are spending the Christmas holiday.

"I'm doing Christmas Day with my family at my mum's place. The plan is to eat something everyone regrets and then hang out and talk (argue) until around 8pm, when the realisation sets in that all the bars are closed and the only movie on TV is The Bucket List." - Taika Waititi

"My Christmas is pretty low-key - just a family day with a big dinner. It's the same with the holidays. I just keep it low-key at home with the family. We have our big holiday straight after my rugby season, when it's not so busy. The holiday break is crazy, so it's nice just to kick back at home." - Liam Messam

"We are at home for Christmas. It will be a very quiet affair with the kids, Stephie and Max, and Bronagh's dad. It will be a politics-free zone, which will be nice. I'm cooking, so here's hoping we eat turkey and I don't mess it up, otherwise I'll be the turkey." - John Key

"To be honest, we are as disorganised as buggery. Christmas will be with family in the Bay of Plenty, and my daughter and I trying to explain to [my Swiss wife] Caroline why New Zealand insists on 'ho, ho, ho, look at the snow' even though it's 26C." - Greg Boyed

"I'll be at home in Auckland for Christmas Day and I probably won't leave the house. I'll spend the day with my family ... and lots of good food." - KJ Apa

"My younger sister got married last weekend in the South Island, and we are having a quiet, family Christmas at home in Milton. Dad hasn't been well, so it's important for me to spend the holiday period with my family this year." - Sam Hayes

"I'll be working at a charity lunch on Christmas Day in New Plymouth, helping serve food. After that, I'll celebrate Christmas with the family. We're having a mid-afternoon lunch with my mum, sister, brother and their families. We don't tend to do turkey; more salmon and ham. We'll be spending a week holidaying in New Plymouth, then it's back to Wellington, followed by a break at Takaka, Golden Bay, where there will be limited cellphone coverage." - Andrew Little

"I'm heading back to my old home town of Morrinsville to spend Christmas with my mum and dad. Mum kindly lets me take over the kitchen the whole time I'm down - it makes up for all the toast-based dinners I have the rest of the year! And for the rest of the break, I'm mostly going to be in Gisborne pretending I know how to relax." - Jacinda Ardern

"I am looking forward to taking the kids to my sister's up North for a big family lunch on Christmas Day, and then enjoying Auckland in that magical week when there's no traffic, the cafes are empty and the beaches practically deserted!" - Simon Dallow

"Christmas Day will have just one rule this year - NO politics talk! And after a year of wearing a suit, my weta-like legs are in need of a bit of sun." - Patrick Gower

"It's Christmas Day at our house this year with four generations enjoying all the usual Christmas fare. Then we are having a Kiwi holiday in the Far North, fishing, swimming and diving." - Paula Bennett

"For Christmas I'll be going to Christchurch to see my parents. We are going out for a late lunch-early dinner. We thought about cooking, but then we thought, no, let someone else do the work. Then it's off to Mt Maunganui for a two-week holiday where I'll be playing golf, swimming, walking, climbing the Mount and drinking." - Peter Williams

"I'm having Christmas Day with the family in Tauranga, and for New Year's I'm hiring a house in Waihi with friends where we will be beaching, reading, swimming, hiking and snorkelling." - Janika Ter Ellen

"Christmas Day will be in Auckland with my brother, eating a bucket of KFC chicken and playing a 32-race Nintendo Mario Kart championship. My parents have gone on holiday, so it's just the two of us. It's bloody depressing. We'll be playing at least two hours of video games. It's the spirit of Christmas." - Guy Williams

"I've escaped cooking duties this year and mum is cooking Christmas lunch. We're having a family Christmas at mum and dad's house. All I have to do is turn up, it's brilliant. Then it will be home to sleep it all off." - Simon Gault

"I'll be doing some serious relaxing after a massive year, with plenty of beach time with the kids and a few day trips out of Auckland." - Josh Emmett

"My sons are home for Christmas Day, and the wider family will all be here too. Duncan [my ex-husband] always brings the ham and plays the grinch, and Charlie the labrador has his own set of reindeer ears. After lunch we're going fishing, if the weather's good." - Susan Wood

"I'm having Christmas with the family at our Mangawhai bach. I'll spend New Years up there with friends, and try to relax before a full year of TV and radio with Hauraki." - Leigh Hart

"I'm channelling Nigella this Christmas, so I will be busy trying to locate some goose fat and a pot big enough to brine my turkey. Then I'm off to Singapore to MC the launch of Air New Zealand's new service there at the beginning of January. I had high hopes that it might just be me, my wife and the pilot delivering a plane together but it turns out the first flight is already very full. So I guess my dream of playing hallway cricket in a 777-200 will have to wait." - Jesse Mulligan

"I'll be with my whanau on Christmas morning at Oihi in Northland at the site where Rev Samuel Marsden preached the Bible and the first Christian sermon on Christmas morning in 1814. It will be a historic occasion. Although how far the spirit of good will has stretched to the people of Ngapuhi is a moot point. In the afternoon I'll have a massive kaimoana with my family - paua, pork, crayfish and copious amounts of red wine." - Shane Jones

"I'm seeing in Christmas at my parents' farm in Warkworth. It will be fun, all the rellies will be there. And for the holidays I'm having a bit of a staycation this year, just hanging around Auckland. It'll be nice just doing what I want." - Hayley Holt