Alex James gifts Blur bandmates with cheese for Christmas

26 December 2024, 08:00

The Blur bassist told Radio X's Johnny Vaughan why Christmas is his favourite time of the year.

Alex James gifts his Blur bandmates with cheese for Christmas.

The Blur bassist famously swapped the rock 'n' roll lifestyle for cheese farming in the Cotswolds and he admitted his second vocation comes in handy during the festive period.

Asked by Johnny Vaughan in 2022 if he gets presents for the Britpop band - completed by frontman Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon and drummer Dave Rowntree - he revealed: "I normally send them some cheese. Yes, I do. It’s kind.”

"It’s absolutely my favourite time of year," he said when speaking about Christmas on the whole. "When the cheese comes out at lunch time, that’s my favourite moment of the whole year."

When it came to his expert opinion on what to have on your festive cheese platter, he said: “My advice. Just get one big one of cheese. Get a proper wheel of it. A big wheel of blue...”

Alex James is grateful for Blur reuniting!

2023 was a banner year for Blur - the band reunited for a series of sold-out shows across Europe, which included dates at Wembley Stadium, and released their first album in eight years, The Ballad Of Darren.

Alex told Radio X's Chris Moyles recently that while he wished Oasis well for their reunion shows in 2025, he won't be attending any of the dates.

He said: "I am not sure that I will be going."

He added: "Look, it was very good manners that they waited until we got all our junk out the way!"