Loose Women star calls out Mark Wright and Michelle Keegan over 'gaudy' Christmas decorations

ok.co.uk:

As December kicks off, many are considering decking their homes with Christmas lights. Rylan has already shared a snap of his impressive outdoor display, and celeb couple Michelle Keegan and Mark Wright weren't far behind, sharing a video of the dazzling lights on their grand Essex mansion.

However, Loose Women star Carol McGiffin wasn't too thrilled. While she admits that a flashy set of Christmas lights might seem "magical" to a child, she believes it's now more about people with "the preference of people with more money than sense." In her column for Best magazine, she notes that some even hire professional lighting companies, adding that some celebs with large social media followings get discounted or even free decoration services in return for an Instagram plug. "Last week," Carol points out, "actress Michelle Keegan and hubby Mark Wright posted their perfectly lit-up Essex mansion - as if any of their followers would think, 'oh that's a great idea, let's spend next month's mortgage payment on paying this company to decorate our house!'" The tradition of exterior Christmas lights started in the USA in the early 20th century, but even after 100 years, there's still some opposition.

In the Hampshire village of Chawton, famously known as Jane Austen's home, a Christmas lights controversy is currently brewing.

Carol revealed that a local resident's letter to the parish magazine, objecting to some houses in Chawton being decked out with brightly-coloured Christmas lights and suggesting only white ones should be allowed, "backfired brilliantly when an entire close covered their houses in multi-coloured flashing lights," reports the Express.