MERRY CHRIS-MA!

DJ Chris Evans is top of the pots - after he cooked Christmas dinner for SEVEN mums.

Radio's hottest star proved he is also a hit in the kitchen when he roasted an 18lb turkey and prepared all the trimmings.

Chris invited his closest friends to the feast...and told them to bring along their mothers.

Yesterday Chris said: "I reckon I've got a record for mums on Christmas Day. I was all mummed up wasn't I?

"I had a wonderful time and everyone enjoyed themselves."

The new boss of Virgin Radio and host of TFI Friday switched off his wildman image for the day as he and his own mother, Minnie, arranged 13 seats around the dining table for their guests and themselves.

He invited his breakfast show sidekick and former girlfriend Holly "Hotlips" Samos, 26, plus her mother and grandmother.

Next on the guest list was a friend who is a single mum and her daughter.

They were joined by Chris's close friend Ian, a record company executive, and his mother.

Dan McGrath, who also works with Chris on the breakfast show, turned up with his mother, his wife Lisa Clark - the Big Breakfast producer - and Lisa's mother.

Chris decided to celebrate with the personal touch as a thank you to his friends for supporting him through a tough year.

He wanted to show off his luxurious new home in Notting Hill, West London, which he moved into last week following his split with girlfriend Suzy Aplin.

Running through his guest list, Chris said: "I've had Holly's mum and her Nan, which effectively is two mums, my mum - that's three mums. There was a friend of mine, she's a mum, she brought her little girl, that was four mums. Later on there were three more mums. We had my gay friend Ian's mum, Dan's mum and his wife Lisa's mum. That was seven mums in all."

Chris organised the whole day himself, down to buying the turkey.

The meal was a traditional Christmas dinner with roast potatoes, brussels sprouts and cranberry sauce. It was followed with Christmas pudding and mince pies. A friend said: "It was a very special day for Chris. He wanted to relax and enjoy it with the people he is closest to.

"He felt the best way to show how he appreciates them was to make a fuss of them.

"He knew that they also wanted to spend Christmas with their families, so the best way was to invite everyone.

"Chris splashed out on presents, crackers, decorations and of course, lots of drinks. He said it was a great day." Chris will be seeing 1997 out on a high after a tough year.

His radio career looked in jeopardy after walking out of Radio 1 in January following a series of rows with boss Matthew Bannister.

He then spent months on a "drinking and thinking" spree after admitting that it was difficult to cope with the stress of fame.

The ginger-haired star also had to face heartache over the break- up of his relationship with TFI producer Suzi in November after two years together.

But his prospects took a dramatic upturn when he landed the breakfast show on Virgin Radio in October and ended up buying control of the station from Richard Branson.

The surprise pounds 85 million deal sent shockwaves through the broadcasting world. Chris snatched the station, launched by Branson four years ago, from under the noses of London-based rival Capital which offered pounds 87 million.

Evans and his backers now own 75 per cent of the station. He put in pounds 2 million cash and his stake in his Ginger Production company, valued at pounds 30 million.

The takeover appears to be paying off already. Leaked ratings show his return to the airwaves has increased the station's early morning audience by nearly 50 per cent, to 2.4 million a week.

The survey showed that he was still trailing his Radio 1 rival Zoe Ball, 26, but her show ratings fell by 470,000 last month.

Chris' on-screen success also continued this month when he became Britain's highest-paid TV star after signing a pounds 30 million deal with Channel Four.

The station offered him a three-year contract to produce his TFI Friday show into 2001.

Last week Evans told TV viewers that he was looking forward to the challenge - and was preparing to tone down his boozy social life.

Chris's Car Ends Up In The Drink - See Confidential on Page 15

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