Josie Gibson opens up about her real relationship status causing a media frenzy earlier this year when she joked she was “in love” with her close pal Stephen Mulhern

As she gets ready to spend a fun-filled Christmas with her gorgeous son Reggie, Josie Gibson couldn’t be more thankful for her enviable life. The popular This Morning star is about to turn 40, has just bought a gorgeous new home and has two new TV shows.

However, the road to success hasn’t always been smooth. “I’ve really, really struggled with my confidence,” says Josie, who shot to fame after winning Big Brother in 2010. “I think everybody does… but worrying doesn’t do anything for anybody.” Josie’s mindset changed when she gave birth to her son in 2018 and her priorities shifted. These days, she refuses to give her fears any headspace and instead focuses on her friends and family as she tries to put her trust in fate.

“Reg is my biggest distraction,” says Josie. “And people… your connections and relationships are so important. They’re the things that are going to stay with you for ever. What is meant to be on your path, will be on your path. You could spend all day worrying, but you’re not going to get anywhere.”

But, for Josie, prioritising her relationships doesn’t mean finding love. Despite causing a media frenzy earlier this year when she joked she was “in love” with her close pal Stephen Mulhern, Josie is currently single.

“It wouldn’t be fair on them,” she says on the subject of partners. “My time is split between my career and my son, where would anyone fit in?” Now with her 40th birthday approaching in January, Josie’s feeling philosophical about everything she’s achieved and where she is in her life.

“I feel like I know myself,” says the star. “If anything happened to me tomorrow… well, I’ve had a really good time. I’ve really enjoyed life. It’s been stressful at times – don’t get me wrong – but I’ve had a blast. I’m so lucky. When you reach a milestone birthday, it’s weird how your mind starts changing. As long as everybody’s happy and healthy, then we’re totally winning, aren’t we?”

And that’s exactly where Josie finds herself as she prepares for the most wonderful time of the year. With her son Reggie now aged six, Josie goes the extra mile to make Christmas as special as possible for him.

Single Josie joked she was ‘in love’ with Stephen Mulhern (Image: WireImage)

She says, “I love seeing Reg’s face when he comes down on Christmas morning. You know when they go, ‘He’s been!’ That is everything for me. That’s why I do everything, to celebrate that moment.”

Father Christmas plays a huge role in the Gibson house and Josie’s favourite tradition is to dress Reg up in a suit to visit Santa.

“I’m all about the magic, and keeping the magic alive,” she says. “Reg is the best version of himself the whole way through December because Father Christmas calls us and his elves call us and I always make him go and see Father Christmas in a suit.”

This year, Bristolian Josie will be hosting her family for Christmas and is even toying with the idea of swapping a traditional Christmas turkey for a duck inside a chicken inside a turkey, often called a Turducken. She says, “I’m going to be spending Christmas at home, having a relaxed one. I’m going to do loads of food so everybody can just pop in when they want to, help themselves to food, stay as long as they want, play some party games.”

Josie doesn’t claim to be the world’s best cook, but she does have a secret tip she’s happy to share. “I sprinkle a beef Oxo cube on the potatoes and then I roast them. They come out amazingly – and I snack on them all day. I do normally go for a turkey, but this year I might get a bird in a bird in a bird.”

And while she’s blanking pigs in blankets, Josie is planning to go all-out on her sprouts and use a recipe from a Michelin-trained chef. “I’m going to copy Poppy O’Toole’s recipe for sprouts with chestnuts,” she says. “But we’re not big pork fans in our house.”

But there is one element of Christmas that Josie doesn’t love. “The part where you go, ‘Oh, I forgot so and so!’” she cringes. “That is always a nightmare!”

Josie goes the extra mile to make Christmas as special as possible for Reg

However, Josie reckons she’s one step ahead on her Christmas shopping this year because she’s been making a show for Channel 4 called Ultimate Christmas Gift Guide With Josie Gibson , which aims to help people find perfect gifts for everyone in the family. And Josie doesn’t mind admitting that as soon as the cameras stopped rolling, she hit the shops to get ahead of the rush.

“It is very festive,” says Josie. “If you want some inspiration on gifts for him, her, grandma, granddad, teenagers, primary school kids, toddlers, pets or even for Secret Santa, we’ve got it. There is nothing that we have not covered on this show, nothing. We try to find something for everybody.”

No wonder Josie loves her job; not only has she combined this latest programme with rounding off her Christmas shopping, she’s also had a lot of laughs along the way – especially when children tested the toys.

“Oh, my God, it’s been so funny,” she says. “We sent loads of toys to a school for the kids to review, so you’re getting it straight from the horse’s mouth – it’s like that show called Kids Say The Funniest Things – and then we have our brilliant celebrities.”

But it’s not just the kids making her laugh, with showbiz guests including Made In Chelsea pal Ollie Locke, comic Jenny Eclair and star of Australian The Office Felicity Ward. Josie doesn’t mind admitting she’s been crying with laughter during filming.

“Jenny Eclair did gifts for grandparents and we had a cracker guide. Felicity Ward is very special, she’s hilarious – I’ve been crying. I’m always saying, ‘If you have a laugh watching it, then we’ve won.’ That for me, is everything. If we lift somebody’s mood or make someone laugh, then I’m happy.”

Josie is very proud of her new solo projects, not least because her Christmas show will be a homecoming of sorts as it airs on Channel 4. “I’m on ITV, but Channel 4 is where I was born,” she laughs.

However, ITV and Channel 4 aren’t the only channels she’s on – she’s got a deal with Channel 5, too! “I’ve been filming The First Class Travel Show and I’m really proud of it,” she says. “I’ve had about six things I’ve been doing in the background, but I can’t wait to get back to This Morning now, I can’t wait to go home.”

It’s not all work for Josie, though – she’s also planning a January getaway in a destination favoured by Zara Tindall to celebrate that milestone birthday.

“I’m going to book a skiing holiday to Val d’Isere! It’s swanky there, isn’t it?” she tells us. “When I was younger, it was so far from what we thought of as a holiday… now I think it’s like heaven when you’re up there in the mountains. The beauty of it is unreal. I love a cold holiday!”