Who do you turn to when it’s Christmas Eve and the turkey you’ve just lugged home from the shops won’t go in the oven? Or the recipe says “stuff the neck end” – and you just can’t tell which end is which?

You call the turkey hotline of course!

And you won’t be alone. Hundreds of people ring this freephone SOS number in the lead-up to the Big Day. They are reassured by the fact it is manned by real live people, not machines, right up until 5pm on Christmas Eve. But as the countdown to Christmas gets closer, the callers get more desperate…

How can I make the turkey cook quicker this year to stop everyone getting drunk before dinner?…Can I cook it from frozen?…Can I part-cook it then finish it off when I get to my mother-in-laws?…Will my 25lb turkey thaw before tomorrow morning? (The answer to that one is no – blag an invitation to a friend’s for lunch because a bird that size will take a couple of days to defrost).

One thing callers don’t have to worry about is embarrassment – the turkey hotline has heard it all before!

Call 0800 783 9994 and try it out – it’s good to talk!