Are there any “best” bits?
Kylie Minogue performing her new song XMAS on Strictly Come Dancing, which no doubt helped push it to number one this week in the UK.
They started their ITV career on some Saturday Morning Kids Show called SM:TV Live.
UK Christmas Day 2025 ratings were generally lower than the previous year, with Strictly Come Dancing the only show to buck the trend.
The Scarecrow topped the day only after The King 's Address had almost 6m on BBC & ITV.
The BBC dominates with nine of the top ten shows on Christmas Day in 2025
Audiences chose an outstanding range of drama, comedy and entertainment.
We’re proud of the fact that people come together on the BBC at Christmas. Having nine out of the top ten shows on Christmas Day is a timely reminder that shared moments really do still matter even in a world of so much choice.
— Kate Phillips, BBC’s Chief Content Officer
The Scarecrows’ Wedding was the most popular show on Christmas Day with 4.3 million viewers (excluding The King’s Christmas broadcast).
The animated adaptation of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s much loved picture book is a joyful story, full of heart and humour and brought viewers together in their millions.
The BBC’s Christmas Day line-up proved a winning formula once again securing nine out of the top ten most watched programmes across the day as audiences chose an outstanding range of drama, comedy and entertainment.
BBC One was the biggest channel of the day and the BBC’s total share was bigger than the whole SVOD market combined on Christmas Day on TV.
Kate Phillips, BBC’s Chief Content Officer says : “We’re proud of the fact that people come together on the BBC at Christmas. Having nine out of the top ten shows on Christmas Day is a timely reminder that shared moments really do still matter even in a world of so much choice. It’s the BBC’s unique range of programmes that sets us apart, there really is something for everyone, and we’re kicking off 2026 in explosive style with new series of The Traitors and The Night Manager, so there’s plenty to look forward to!”
Top 10
- The King’s Speech – 4.6 million
- The Scarecrows’ Wedding – 4.3 million
- Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special – 4.2 million
- Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel – 3.7 million
- Call the Midwife – 3.4 million
- Gladiators Christmas Special – 3.2 million
- Amandaland Christmas Special – 3.1million
- EastEnders – 2.8 million
- The 1% Club on ITV – 2.7 million
- The Weakest Link – 2.6 million
Top 20:
BBC dealt huge blow as Christmas Day TV ratings confirmed
Strictly Come Dancing was the only BBC show that saw an increase in viewing figures on Christmas Day 2025 compared to the year prior. This year saw a serious blow to the broadcaster because the BBC failed to have any show perform better than The King’s Speech, while last year the Gavin and Stacey Christmas Special more than doubles the figures of the speech. Last year, both Gavin and Stacey, and Wallace and Gromit, brought in incredibly high figures to the channel, with 12.3million and 9.4million views respectively.
Obvious usual sensationalism from the domestic outlets.
Figures can’t keep going up forever. We have alternative choices. This isn’t an era of just three channels.
BTW, ITV1’s best rated programme is 9th. Channel 4’s is 13th. Maybe those are where the alarm bells should be ringing.
It was always expected to be lower anyway after last year’s double whammy of Wallace and Gromit and the Gavin and Stacy finale. BBC should be very pleased they can still pull these kinds of numbers on linear.
Hopefully that’ll stop them wheeling out Mrs Brown every year for the absolutely awful Christmas ‘Specials’.
Keep doing it! 
Among others awarded in the New Year’s Honours list are former Channel 4 CEO Alex Mahon and ex-BBC chief content officer Charlotte Moore, the latter of whom commissioned huge hits across a lengthy career at the public broadcaster before moving to Sony earlier this year. Last of the Summer Wine creator Roy Clarke and comedian Meera Syal (who became a dame for services to “literature, drama and charity”) were also recipients this year. Richard Osman, the former Endemol Shine executive and Pointless co-host whose Thursday Murder Club book was turned into a Netflix movie, is given an OBE for services to literature and broadcasting. Dancing on Ice stars and 1984 Gold medalists Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean were made a dame and knight respectively for their charity work too.
Around 5:00p.m. AEDT, The MTV Channels in the IK, Hits, Live, 80’s and 90’s will bid Farewell. Have we got any British Watching the Final Hours of those channels?
BBC1’s coverage of the London Fireworks averaged 9.7m for the 15 minutes from midnight.
And much like in Australia, there was criticism
But some viewers were less than impressed with this year’s offering, accusing organisers of featuring an ‘advert’ for the new Wicked movie and criticised it for not featuring Ozzy Osbourne, who died earlier in 2025.
The free TLC launches on 13 January.
The Pop channels have shut down the same night as the MTVs.
Well done to ITV on the ‘Corriedale’ crossover of their two soaps. Really well done and had everything you’d want from an hour of soap!
I’m sure that, despite what they say now, if it’s positively received and rates well, there will be more crossover episodes from time to time in the future.
This Morning has moved house! No longer at Television Centre, it is now live from Covent Garden, complete with new titles and a new studio - and ‘windows’ looking over the Thames! #ThisMorning pic.twitter.com/Hf2Mexi5qY
— sᴜᴘᴇʀ ᴛᴠ (@superTV247) January 5, 2026
Loose Women also have a new studio, new desk and slightly new graphics. They no longer have an audience and the set has also been stripped back — and is it just me that sees LN in the corner as opposed to LW? 🫣 #LooseWomen https://t.co/lzQydAHQC5 pic.twitter.com/XFxVDT5VrL
— sᴜᴘᴇʀ ᴛᴠ (@superTV247) January 5, 2026
Did someone in another thread ask about this the other day? Thought I remember seeing someone asking.
Anyway if it hasn’t been posted already, airing on UKTV Jan 27th.
So how did they link the two shows?