Naughty Santa Anna Friel opens up about her relationship with Rhys Ifans in a racy festive-themed photo shoot

'I'm very much in love': Naughty Santa Anna Friel opens up about her relationship with Rhys Ifans in a racy festive-themed photo shoot

By Kirsty Mccormack

Last updated at 7:13 PM on 9th November 2011



It might not be Christmas just yet but Anna Friel is already getting into the festive spirit.

Perhaps it's because she's so loved up at the moment, that her sexy Santa look in this months Tatler magazine oozes confidence and natural beauty.

Talking about her relationship with actor Rhys Ifans, her role as a mother and the tough decision of where to live, Friel is honestly open.

Natural beauty: Anna Friel opens up about her love life with Rhys Ifans in this months Tatler magazine

But it's not just her life that she's opening up about.

In the Christmas-themed photo shoot - shot by renowned photographer Rankin - the mother-of-one shows off her English rose complexion in a variety of red and white designer outfits.

Friel, 35, is well-known for her elfin-type look and isn't ashamed to show off her freckles.

Wearing a red Ralph Lauren shirt - unbuttoned - with a pair of white silk shorts, the actress certainly hasn't conformed to the Los Angeles glow.

In fact she may own a house in Beachwood Canyon, which sits right underneath the Hollywood sign but she's still torn about where to live.

'I have times where I'm like...oh God, I don't know where I'm going to live,' she said.

Friel has been dating Notting Hill star, Ifans, since the beginning of this year and it seems her blossoming relationship with him, and the fact that she has a six-year-old daughter, Gracie, with her former partner, David Thewlis, are the reasons she can't make up her mind.

English rose: The actress gets in the festive spirit as she poses in a variety of red and white designer outfits

'I've got to think about my relationship with Rhys,' she added. 'If you want a fresh relationship you have to make sacrifices.'

The actress went on to reveal that her famous boyfriend would love to have children of his own one day.

'He is brilliant with Gracie,' she said. 'We introduced her to the idea really gently and softly.

'The good thing is, she had seen him on the set of Neverland and she said: "You are very nice friends. I think he's very nice."'

Indeed the pair did meet last Autumn whilst filming the Peter Pan prequel in which Ifans plays Captain Hook and Friel plays an Irish lady pirate called Captain Bonny.

Their relationship went public after Ifans, 44, was pictured popping out of his girlfriend's LA home wearing a dressing gown to collect something from his car.

Before and after: Friel was with her former partner David Thewlis (L) for ten years before she met Rhys Ifans last year

The scene was of course scarily similar to that of the one in Notting Hill where Rhys steps out of Hugh Grant's home wearing a pair of Y-fronts - only to be confronted by hoards of paparazzi.

'We were both like, "That's so pathetically ironic,"' Anna said of the incident.

Although it may seem like an unlikely affair, the actress spoke highly of her latest relationship saying she is 'very much in love' with Ifans.

'I think one of the things that draws us together so much is our need to feel safe,' she added.

'You know, everyone has to go out there and face the massive wide world and face rejection and it's nice to have a sanctuary and a place to go and a pair of big arms around you and someone to say, "Oh, you're all right.'

Before her ten year relationship with Thewlis, Friel was involved in a four-month romance with Take That star, Robbie Williams, and endured a very public break-up with Darren Day.

But since her partying days, things have only gone onwards and upwards for the actress.

That photo: Ifans was spotted emerging from his girlfriend's Los Angeles wearing a dressing gown earlier this year

The full interview with Anna Friel and the photo shoot by Rankin can be seen in the latest issue of Tatler magazine

Since starring as Poppy Bruce in Emmerdale back in the early nineties, she has experienced huge success with films such as the franchise Goal! and her more recent television role in U.S. comedy, Pushing Daisies.

The award-winning series may have put her on the map stateside and earned her a Golden Globe nomination, but for now Friel is happy to stay put in her Georgian terraced house in Windsor.

Her young daughter goes to school there and despite reports that the actress has the help of two nannies, Friel is against leaving her child.

'It's not easy unless you want to leave your child, and I never have and don't to, particularly after just over a year of being split up from her father.'

Friel is also not keen on the idea of leaving her boyfriend, stating that they have a three-week rule which limits their time away from one another.

But despite the tough decision of where to base herself and the break-down of her longest relationship, at this moment in time Friel seems content with what she's got and it seems her and Ifans are like any other ordinary couple and well-suited to one another.

'We cook together,' she said. 'We often have midnight cook-offs if we've been out and we're both hungry. It's like Ready Steady Cook.

'We hardly watch TV but if we do it's loads of cookery and travel programmes.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2059494/Anna-Friel-opens-Rhys-Ifans-racy-Christmas-themed-photo-shoot.html#ixzz1dF214H48