David Duchovny and Tea Leoni have left Los Angeles for the holidays to give their children their first ever Christmas in their native New York City.

The screen stars, who both hail from the Big Apple, have taken their daughter MADELAINE, five, and two-year-old son KYD away from California in the hope they'll all enjoy a white Christmas - but they've already hit a few problems.

Leoni says, "My daughter's very concerned because she knows there's not a chimney (in the hotel). We were in the car a few days ago and she said, 'What about no chimney? How's (Santa Claus) gonna get there?'

"At first she's five-and-a-half and so she's sort of on the cusp, like maybe she's gonna figure it out, and I don't wanna let her figure it out yet.

"So I'm trying to think on my feet and I said, 'Well, lots of people don't have chimneys and so what we do...' - and I'm thinking, 'What do we do!' - 'We leave the front door open. And then Santa just comes in that way.'

"She was quiet for a few minutes. I'm looking in the rear-view mirror, like, 'Did she buy it?' And suddenly she goes, 'Well, so that would be like a really good night to rob somebody.'"

21/12/2004 09:33