The BBC has officially unveiled its glittering television schedule for the Christmas and New Year period of 2025, promising a bumper selection of festive specials, brand-new dramas, and family-friendly entertainment to light up living rooms across the UK.
Major Returning Shows and Dramatic Farewells
Among the biggest highlights is the return of the original format of The Traitors, with its iconic Scottish castle set to reopen for treachery and tension in the first week of 2026. For fans craving more deception, the schedule also includes The Traitors at the Proms, hosted by Claudia Winkleman, and a festive dose of sunshine in Amanda and Alan’s Spanish Christmas, featuring celebrity winner Alan Carr and his best friend Amanda Holden.
In a major coup for drama lovers, Tom Hiddleston and Olivia Colman are set to reprise their roles in the long-awaited second series of the hit thriller The Night Manager. Meanwhile, the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special will be a particularly momentous occasion, marking the final time longtime hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will preside over the famous ballroom. Celebrity contestants include ex-Gogglebox star Scarlett Moffatt and former All Saints singer Melanie Blatt.
Festive Laughs and Soap Opera Spectacles
Comedy takes centre stage with a host of specials. The popular Motherland spin-off, Amandaland, will get its first Christmas episode, featuring a reunion of Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley as on-screen sisters. Diane Morgan returns as the perpetually unlucky Mandy in The Mandy Who Knew Too Much, which promises her "one of the worst Christmases ever".
Viewers can also expect festive chaos from the likes of Two Doors Down and Here We Go, the latter involving a Jessop family holiday with "a road trip, a missing dummy, and a large crate of unlicensed fireworks". And despite its divisive nature, two new episodes of Mrs Brown’s Boys are confirmed to debut.
The soaps are pulling out all the stops, with a two-part Call the Midwife special heading to Poplar and EastEnders delivering a dramatic festive period where residents of Walford are visited by ghosts from the past and villains of the present, culminating in a flash-forward to the future.
Family Fun and Celebrity Challenges
For family viewing, a brand new animated adaptation of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's The Scarecrows’ Wedding boasts an all-star voice cast including Jessie Buckley, Rob Brydon, and Domhnall Gleeson, with narration by Sophie Okonedo. Another treat for younger audiences is Guz Khan’s 60-minute comedy caper Stuffed, following a multi-faith family's unforgettable trip from Coventry to Lapland.
Celebrities will be put through their paces in a Gladiators Christmas special, pitting the nation's PE teacher Joe Wicks against Made In Chelsea’s Sam Thompson, and Olympic boxer Nicola Adams against podcaster Vogue Williams. For something more serene, Dame Helen Mirren, Julia Donaldson, and Rob Brydon will be special guests on The Repair Shop.
Business takes a festive turn as 12 famous faces enter the boardroom for two The Celebrity Apprentice specials for BBC Children in Need. The line-up includes ex-EastEnders actor Jake Wood, comedian Eddie Kadi, actress Sarah Hadland, and former candidate Tom "Bosh" Skinner.
As the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve, viewers have a choice of Jools Holland’s Annual Hootenanny, the Ronan Keating & Friends: New Year’s Eve Party, or a special edition of The Graham Norton Show.
Kate Phillips, the BBC’s Chief Content Officer, stated: "We’ve got so many terrific treats on the BBC this Christmas. There really is something for everyone as we light up living rooms across the UK with a multitude of magical moments."
