Helena Bonham Carter’s Christmas tree will be decorated with “dead babies and slime” this year.


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The actress, who has a four-year-old son Billy-Ray with long-term partner Tim Burton, has revealed her director lover shuns tradition in favour of creating a “gory” atmosphere during the festive season.

Helena said: “Tim decorates the Christmas tree with dead babies and slime balls and things. It looks lovely and glittery from afar, and then as you get closer, you realise it’s rather gory.”

Helena, who lives next door to Tim, revealed their homes are decorated very differently.

She explained: “Mine looks like Beatrix Potter. He has dead Oompa-Loompas around and multicoloured fibreglass alien lamps. But then he has some nice red-button sofas from Sleepy Hollow. So it’s a funny and good mix.”

The pregnant star insists Tim – whose previous credits include The Nightmare Before Christmas and Edward Scissorhands – still hasn’t grown into a mature adult.

Helena added to Playboy magazine: “We’re not that dark. What I love about Tim is that he retains a certain innocence and a childlike quality. He sort of forgot to grow up. I think I’ve definitely forgotten to grow up, which is great.”

The Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street actress admits the couple’s childish outlook could hinder their abilities as parents in the future. She said: “At some point, Billy will probably want parents. He’ll have to look elsewhere.”