How to buy tickets for the Dancing On Ice 2018 UK tour
Here's everything you need to know to get tickets for the frozen extravaganza
After a four-year absence, Dancing On Ice has returned to ITV, delivering ambitious routines and spectacular stunts to our living rooms every Sunday evening - as well as another welcome dose of Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield. This means that the much-loved Dancing On Ice UK tour is also back, starring ice-dancing champions, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean. The acclaimed ice-skating duo are to be judging the show, and will even be hitting the ice themselves. If the celebrity ice-dancing contest's comeback has got you on the look out for more ice-skating magic, the live tour is definitely set to deliver, with celebrities and professionals gliding effortlessly around the rink, and putting any of our own ice-skating efforts this winter to shame. It's not just the Ice Panel Judges who will have their say - the audience are able to vote for their favourite couple on their phones, and the winning couple will perform their grand finale at the end of the show. The Dancing On Ice Tour will visit the following venues. Click on the links for tickets and further details: 23-25 March - London The SSE Arena, Wembley 27-29 March - Sheffield FlyDSA Arena 30 March-1 April - Newcastle Metro Radio Arena 3-4 April - Manchester Arena 6-8 April - Glasgow The SSE Hydro 10-12 April - Nottingham Motorpoint Arena 13-15 April - Birmingham Arena Birmingham Watch ITV's Dancing On Ice 2018 trailer here: View oEmbed on the source website
How to buy tickets for the Flight of the Conchords live tour 2018
Here's everything you need to get tickets to see Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement live this spring
The comedy duo who describe themselves as New Zealand's 'fourth most popular folk-parody comedy duo' and produced hits like Business Time and Foux de fafa are touring the UK this year. Successful comedians and good friends Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement met at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand where they experimented with spoof songs. Flight of the Conchords was born, and the Kiwi folk comedy pair went on to have their own award-winning BBC Radio 2 series, as well as a hit television comedy series on HBO of the same name. They also released two albums, one self-titled in 2008, and another named I Told You I Was Freaky in 2009. For their UK tour, they'll be dusting off old favourites, like Leggy Blonde and Inner City Pressure for what promises to be an evening filled with comedy and musical entertainment. Flight of the Conchords will visit the following venues. Click below for tickets and further information. 5-7 March - Portsmouth Guildhall 9-11 March - York Barbican Centre 13-15 March - Milton Keynes Theatre 18-20 March - London Eventim Apollo 22 March - Birmingham Genting Arena 23 March - Manchester Arena 26 March - Glasgow The SSE Hydro 27 March - Leeds First Direct Arena 29-30 March - London The O2 1 April - Liverpool Echo Arena 3 April - London The O2 View oEmbed on the source website
How to buy tickets to the Six Nations rugby 2018
Everything you need to know to get tickets to see England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France or Italy in action
The Six Nations Championship is back for 2018, and tickets are available now. The competition takes place over seven weekends, in stadia across England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France and Italy, and this year kicks off on 3rd February, culminating on 17th March. England won in 2016 and last year, and are looking to lift the trophy for a third consecutive year. How to buy Six Nations tickets The Six Nations is now in its 19th series, and if you want to be there this time around to see the action live, matches will be taking place at the following venues. Click on the links for further information. 3rd February - Wales v Scotland, Cardiff, Principality Stadium 3rd February - France v Ireland, Île-de-France, Stade de France in Saint-Denis 4th February - Italy v England, Lazio, Stadio Olimpico in Roma 10th February - Ireland v Italy, Dublin, Aviva Stadium 10th February - England v Wales, Twickenham, Twickenham Stadium 11th February - Scotland v France, Edinburgh, Murrayfield Stadium 23rd February - France v Italy, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Orange Vélodrome in Marseille 24th February, Ireland v Wales, Dublin, Aviva Stadium 24th February, Scotland v England, Edinburgh, Murrayfield Stadium 10th March - Ireland v Scotland, Dublin, Aviva Stadium 10th March - France v England, Île-de-France, Stade de France in Saint-Denis 11th March - Wales v Italy, Cardiff, Principality Stadium 17th March - Italy v Scotland, Lazio, Stadio Olimpico in Roma 17th March - England v Ireland, Twickenham, Twickenham Stadium
How to buy tickets to Carl Frampton's fight with Nonito Donaire
Here's everything you need to know if you want to get tickets to see Frampton take on 'The Filipino flash' in the SSE Arena, Belfast
Northern Irish boxer Carl Frampton is to fight former four-weight world titleist Nonito Dondire on 21st April in Belfast, and tickets are available now. With two elite featherweight boxers going head to head, Belfast fight fans are in for a treat. Buy tickets NOW! Thirty five-year-old Donaire, known as 'The Filipino flash' is a world champion, having won titles in flyweight, bantamweight, super-bantamweight and featherweight divisions. He's a big name to come to Belfast and Frampton, 30, is using the fight as an opportunity to get ready for a world title bout in the summer. Back in January 2017, Frampton lost his world title (the WBA featherweight crown) to Leo Santa Cruz but has since been back performing well, against the likes of Horacio Garcia. The fight is taking place in Belfast SSE Arena, click on the link for further information. Buy tickets to Carl Frampton v Nonito Donaire – Belfast, SSE Arena
How to buy tickets for Michael McIntyre's Big World Tour
Here's everything you need to know to get tickets for Michael McIntyre's comedy extravaganza
Michael McIntyre is one of the UK's most loved and most successful comedians, with his observational sketches and honed ability to poke fun at all manner of Britishisms - from the way the first thing we'll ever do on Google Maps Street View is find our own house, to our dogged commitment to eating dry, flavourless turkey on Christmas Day. His hugely popular Big Christmas Show involved Alesha Dixon falling victim to Celebrity Send To All, and an aspiring singer unwittingly sliding down the chimney into London's Theatre Royal to perform alongside a choir at the end of the show. He's charmed the nation in TV show appearances on everything from Britains Got Talent to Have I Got News For You, and now you can be a member of his audience at Michael McIntyre's Big World Tour. His latest tour will take him across the globe, so it's your chance to get a first hand look at one of the hottest comics of the day. Michael McIntyre's Big World Tour will visit the following venues. Click below for tickets and further information. (Tickets are selling fast so some venues may already have sold out.) 29-30 January - York Grand Opera House 25-27 February - Oxford New Theatre 1-11 March - Plymouth Pavilions 15-18 March - Bournemouth International Centre 22-25 March - Nottingham Motorpoint Arena 11-16 April - Cardiff Motorpoint Arena 19-21 April - Manchester Arena 27-28 April - Liverpool Echo Arena 4-5 May - Newcastle Metro Radio Arena 10-13 May - Birmingham Arena Birmingham 18-19 May - Leeds First Direct Arena 25-30 May - Brighton The Brighton Centre 1-2 June - Belfast The SSE Arena 7-9 June - Dublin 3Arena 12-13 June - Aberdeen AECC BHGE Arena 14-16 June - Glasgow The SSE Hydro 23 June - Sheffield FlyDSA Arena 5-13 October - London The O2 9-11 November - London SSE Arena, Wembley Here's the trailer for Michael McIntyre's Big World Tour: View oEmbed on the source website
When is Celebrity Big Brother back on TV?
Here's everything you need to know about the new series...
Now that I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! is done and dusted - Kiosk Keith’s probably closing up shop as we speak - we’re seriously missing our daily dose of reality TV entertainment. Maybe the return of Celebrity Big Brother will help pull us through… When does it start? Celebrity Big Brother will be hitting our screens for the 21 series (we know, utter madness) on Tuesday 2 January 2018. When is Celebrity Big Brother on TV and which channel airs it? It’ll be on at 9pm on Channel 5. Does Big Brother have a future on Channel 5? Sarah Harding wins Celebrity Big Brother Channel 5 to launch ‘all female’ Celebrity Big Brother when series returns in 2018 Who’s presenting Celebrity Big Brother? Emma Willis will be returning to host the show, and Rylan Clark-Neal will be presenting spin-off Celebrity Big Brother’s Bit On The Side. What’s the theme this year? As you may have heard, there’s going to be an all-female line up, because what better way to celebrate the centenary of women’s suffrage than the CBB house being filled with women? This series is celebrating 100 years since women got the vote, with tests set to challenge gender stereotypes. We're definitely intrigued. There will, however, be male contestants joining the show at intervals throughout the series, so it’s not really any different from usual – apart from the live launch and the female eye design. Jonny Mitchell looks set to be the first male contestant for the show, after being noticed on rival show Love Island last year. Is this going to be the last series? Celebrity Big Brother’s contract with Channel 5 will expire next year, so it really depends on whether the TV network chooses to renew it. It’s fair to say CBB struggled to compete with Love Island last year, so we shall see…
What to watch on TV: New Year's Day 2018
From McMafia to Bake Off to Mrs Brown's Boys, here's your TV guide for 1st January
Time to catch the last of the Christmas TV magic, and the start of upcoming series McMafia. Blue Planet II: Oceans of Wonder 3.30pm BBC1 It's a show with viewing figures to rival Strictly Come Dancing and – while Blue Planet may now be over – this particular episode compiles highlights from the landmark series. With astounding footage of marine life and David Attenborough's dulcet tones, it really is the perfect hangover viewing for New Year's Day. Grandpa's Great Escape 6.55pm Channel 5 The dramatisation of David Walliams's book presents viewers with a heart-warming grandfather-grandson relationship. Grandpa, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease, ends up in an old people's home run by evil Miss Dandy (Jennifer Saunders) who rules the roost. The confused ex-Spitfire pilot's twelve-year-old grandson Jack is the only one who really understands him, so it's up to him to get Grandpa out of there, and the duo embark on a thrilling adventure. Traditional television habits still dominate Christmas day despite the rise in on demand viewing McMafia spoiler-free preview: “The Night Manager with spreadsheets” Phillip Schofield reveals a big format change for Dancing on Ice The Great Festive Bake Off 7.40pm C4 The Great Festive Bake Off is here with a second helping, and this time it's Benjamina Ebuehi, Rav Bansal, Sandy Docherty and Rob Billington heading into a very Christmassy Bake Off tent to complete some seasonal baking tasks. Sue Perkins and the Chimp Sanctuary 9.00pm BBC2 Sue Perkins heads to America to visit Chimp Haven, a Louisiana sanctuary for chimpanzees who have spent their whole lives in research laboratories after being purposefully infected with diseases such as HIV and hepatitis. After gaining an insight into the living conditions in a lab where one of the chimps lived, Sue interrogates the National Institutes of Health on how the American government can defend this practice and whether the progress in human health has justified the animals' suffering. McMafia 9.00pm BBC1 The hotly anticipated new thriller inspired by non-fiction book McMafia: Seriously Organised Crime by Misha Glenny kicks off on New Year's Day. Happy Valley star James Norton plays the series lead, a city high flyer with Russian parents linked to the Mafia. When Alex faces rumours that his firm has broken sanctions, his family's shady past comes back to bite him. View oEmbed on the source website Mrs Brown's Boys 10.00pm BBC1 There's a lot going on in this New Year's Day episode. Cathy is looking for love and Bono wants to go to his first school disco, while all of the characters are on the look out for a local criminal. There's lots of slapstick, lots of gags, and lots of superhero costumes.
The best TV to watch today, on New Year's Eve
Staying in this year? Here's how to watch the celebrations on BBC, ITV and Channel 4...
Your guide on how to watch the New Year Celebrations... Alan Carr's New Year Spectacular 9pm C4 There are multiple New Year parties on TV this year, providing some healthy competition for Jools Holland – first to kick off is Alan Carr's chat show starring the likes of Caroline Flack, Alex Brooker, Tom Davis, Kim Woodburn and Jonnie Peacock. The Graham Norton Show 10.20pm BBC1 Then there's the classic Graham Norton and his New Year's eve show. He'll be joined by Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron and Zendaya, Suranne Jones and Cary Oldman. The best TV shows coming to Netflix in 2018 Black Mirror season 4 episode guide: Charlie Brooker reveals new plot and episode details Traditional television habits still dominate Christmas day despite the rise in on demand viewing Annual Hootenanny 11.20pm BBC2 Jools Holland's annual affair features Ed Sheeran, Jessie Ware and Beth Ditto. There'll be soul and R&B artists Ruby Turner and Mavis Staples as well as a performance from the Pipes and Drums of the 1st Battalion Scots Guards. Nile Rodgers & CHIC 11.20pm BBC1 Co-founder of American disco band, Chic, Nile Rodgers will be performing before and after the midnight fireworks. New Year's Eve fireworks 11:55pm BBC1 What would New Year's Eve be without a musical pyrotechnic display on the banks of the River Thames? As Big Ben strikes midnight, expect an impressive set lighting up the sky of central London in front of thousands of spectators. Top of the Pops 4.05pm BBC1 For the first time in over ten years, there will be a new host on Top of the Pops this year. Clara Amfo is stepping into Reggie Yates's shoes this year, joining Fearne Cotton to go over this year's biggest hits and revealing the final number one of 2017. Among others, there'll be performances from Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, Rita Ora, and Paloma Faith. Antiques Roadshow 8.00pm BBC1 Antiques Roadshow heads to the set of Eastenders in this festive episode starring Fiona Bruce, Letitia Dean and June Brown. The exclusively entertainment-related treasures include items connected to Doctor Who, Harry Potter and the Beatles. The Real Marigold on Tour 9.00pm BBC1 The group of retirement-age celebrities (actor Miriam Margolyes, darts player Bobby George, chef Rosemary Shrager and dancer Wayne Sleep) are off to Thailand in this episode, on the next leg of their global retirement journey. Rosemary Shrager, intending to thank a fish stallholder, says "kneeling down" and Paul Nicholas and Dennis Taylor feature in a ladyboy's cabaret. Live at the Apollo 10.50pm BBC2 The stand up showcase bringing comedy from the Hammersmith Apollo stars Lucy Porter, listing ways to respond to unwanted comments as a woman, and Guz Khan on his experiences as a teacher. German comedian and 8 Out of 10 Cats regular Henning Wehn hosts and before long he's chatting Brexit and immigration.
Miranda Hart reveals her Christmas wish list
From singing reindeer jumpers to sitting by the fire with a good book...
1 THE CHRISTMAS LOOP We hear the same tunes played on a loop on every radio station, supermarket, hotel, shopping centre. Everywhere you go, you are followed by the tinkling of Christmas music… and I blooming love it! It’s become such a beloved, nostalgic soundtrack to this time of year. It also means I often go into an inadvertent bop or little jaunty walk to the tunes, without realising it. Living in a Christmas musical for a month, what’s not to love? 2 CAROL SINGING My love of carols means they deserve a separate mention. A hearty singalong is good for body and soul and it reminds me of the classic old hymns we rarely listen to or sing these days. I sometimes ding dong merrily on high or hark the herald angels midsummer for a dose of cheer – maverick! If I had to choose a favourite? In the Bleak Midwinter. Gorgeous. What time is Miranda Does Christmas on TV? What's inside the Radio Times Christmas double issue 2017? The best TV shows to watch on Netflix this Christmas 3 TWINKLY LIGHTS Everything looks better in the glow of Christmas lights. The world looks like a Richard Curtis movie and that’s always a good thing. I keep most of my lights going throughout January and February. It makes our long winters much more bearable. 4 BRANDY BUTTER, MULLED WINE & BREAD SAUCE Need I say more? 5 SELF-CONTROL In the season of overeating and forgetting that all food groups shouldn’t be covered in pastry, the satisfaction of self-control is immeasurably high. If you can say no at Christmas, then new year resolutions will be easy. 6 NAFF OUTFITS Bang on-trend youths can get away with kitsch at any time of year, but Christmas gives older folk the chance to go all out on the sequins, tinsel and bobbles. I wouldn’t normally walk down the street in a woolly jumper with a reindeer face that spouts a little tune when you press the nose. If you did that in March, you’d be considered a LOON. 7 ROARING FIRES Snuggling by a fire slows life down a bit. I love staring at the flames – it’s a great mindfulness moment, and it’s the perfect place to cuddle up and read a book or magazine. You could buy my new book, The Girl with the Lost Smile – I love a bit of self-publicity – or Radio Times! 8 GOOD OLD BRITISH COMEDY It’s a chance to indulge in all my heroes and be grateful for the joy they’ve brought the nation over the years. Pop me in front of Morecambe and Wise and I’m happy. 9 COSINESS & KINDNESS Christmas sparks a nurturing kindness for others and ourselves after busy days. We should keep that going into the new year. Treat yourself well please, and thank you. 10 LOVE For that’s what it’s all about. Forget the stress of cooking and the pressure of buying gifts. Just know that there is only one of you and you are loved and appreciated. Spread that love around. So have a cosy, twinkly, singing, dancing, jumper-wearing, TV-watching, kindly, loving, feasting Christmas. Miranda Does Christmas is on Wednesday 27 December at 9pm on Channel 4. The Girl With The Lost Smile (Hodder Children’s Books, £12.99)
Christmas 2017: What to watch on TV today, Boxing Day
Here's your guide to what's on in the Christmas aftermath...
From a period thriller to a festive edition of QI, Boxing Day telly doesn't disappoint. Snow Bears 6.30pm BBC1 Mildly traumatised Blue Planet II viewers, this one's for you. Snow Bears, a one-off documentary chronicling the 400-mile journey of a family of polar bears promises winter adventure and a whole lot of cuteness. Kate Winslet narrates and the music skilfully communicates every change in mood as the two cubs and their mother continue their journey towards a wildlife-rich patch of ice for the spring. It's been called a "fun-packed, snowy adventure" and we are very excited about it. Little Women 8.00pm BBC1 Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy March will be hitting our screens on Boxing Day evening in the BBC's new adaptation of the much-loved classic, Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott. The three-part drama explores what it is to be a young woman, with first love, loss and sibling rivalry aplenty, brought to us by Call the Midwife creator, Heidi Thomas. Set in Ireland during the American Civil War, the series follows the lives of these four very different sisters while their dad is away working with troops. Traditional television habits still dominate Christmas day despite the rise in on demand viewing The best TV shows coming to Netflix in 2018 EastEnders: Jessie Wallace to return as Kat Moon Travel Man 8.00pm C4 Mad Men's Jon Hamm joins IT Crowd star Richard Ayoade on the distinctly un-festive Christmas episode of his travel documentary series. Expect deadpan commentary from Ayoade and scenes of the two trying Hong Kong street food specialities – including offal skewers and a soup made with five species of venomous snake. Think we'll stick to the left over stuffing and turkey... The Miniaturist 9.00pm BBC1 This dramatisation of Jessie Burton's 2014 best-seller opens with a young woman named Nella Oortman (Anya Taylor-Joy) arriving in Amsterdam to join wealthy merchant husband Johannes Brandt after an arranged marriage. Johannes gifts her a doll's house, and it soon becomes clear that its interiors and figurines simulate reality and are even able to predict the future. This period thriller set in 1686 remains faithful to the novel and Romola Garai excels as Marin, Nella's sister in law. The drama concludes on the 27th December. Dragon's Den 9.00pm BBC2 Our favourite business pitch challenge is back, with Den regulars Touker Suleyman, Deborah Meaden and Peter Jones joined by newer faces Jenny Campbell and Tej Lalvani. This festive edition sees a multi-millionaire freezing up approximately one sentence into his pitch, a pitch for healthy porridge (we thought porridge was already healthy?) and a seasonal business involving Santa Claus. Big Fat Quiz of the Year 9.00pm, C4 A quiz that's become somewhat of a significant annual event in the British calendar is back once again, with Jimmy Carr putting a panel of celebrities to the test. Famous faces include Richard Ayoade, Noel Fielding, Katherine Ryan, Roisin Conaty and Big Narstie. Have they been paying attention to what's been going on this year or have they been burying their heads in the sand? QI 10.00pm BBC2 The BBC's tricky quiz show invites us to stir from our food comas and puzzle over some Yuletide-themed questions in a festive episode. The Christmas special stars Holly Walsh, Jason Manford and Romesh Ranganathan, as well as familiar face, Alan Davies.
Our Thoughts for today by the Bishop of Leeds, Rector of St James’s Church and the leader of City Sikhs
Three regular voices from Radio 4’s Today programme offer their thoughts for Christmas Day
Nick Baines, Bishop of Leeds I doubt whether some of the Radio 4 Today team who dismissed Thought for the Day as boring in this very magazine recently will be going to church this Christmas. But who knows? They might surprise me. It might be part of their ritual every year. And this, for me, is the challenge of Christmas. Familiarity means that we lose the experience of surprise that Christmas offers. Apart from a handful of people caught up in the events of Bethlehem (a tiny village in an obscure part of the Roman Empire) on the first Christmas night, the rest of the world just carried on. Choirs of angels and worried shepherds didn’t intrude into the consciousness of most of the world’s population. And maybe that’s the point. It was the right time, in the right place, and with the right people. Yet the whole narrative is about surprise, not dull familiarity. When God breaks in, surprising earth with heaven, he does so not with war horses and apocalypse, but in the cry of a tiny babe. Thus are our expectations of God and the world subverted. That’s why, 2,000 years later, we need to make space for being confronted by this story afresh – trying to enter into it as if we were there and didn’t know what was going to happen next. What’s inside the Radio Times Christmas double issue 2017? What’s your dream Christmas TV line-up? What’s your favourite Christmas film? However, creating space for thinking new thoughts doesn’t come naturally. Albert Einstein famously said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” Or, as the BBC statue of George Orwell cites: “If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.” Daring to think differently is not always comfortable or easy. The BBC is unique in making such space six days a week when news commentary finds itself silent while someone thinks about things from a different – a religious – perspective. It’s clear from my own inbox that it’s not just Today presenters who dislike Thought for the Day because they don’t like religion. Others assume that there is some neutral space from which anyone with a religious worldview should be excluded. Still others want the spread of contributors to be wider. Some just sneer, thus excusing themselves from examining their own prejudices. Some listeners welcome being invited to think differently, even if they conclude that the “thought” is nonsense. Surely, though, shining a different light is a good thing to do. Like it or not, Christmas will see churches and cathedrals packed for multiple services. The story will be retold and re-imagined. Minds might just be opened to rethink and re-imagine how God, the world and we might subvert our tired complacencies, and be surprised by surprise. Think about it? Lucy Winkett, Rector of St James’s Church, Piccadilly, London When I broadcast Thought for the Day I sit in the studio with whichever pair of presenters is on the Today rota that day, waiting for one of them to say, “It’s 11 minutes to eight and time for…” The studio is a busy place; guests come and go, frantic gestures are made when a bit of revised script has gone missing; and all the time the relentless clock on the wall moves forward. It occurs to me sometimes as I’m sitting there that trying to understand the world by listening to the news cycle is like trying to tell the time by watching the second hand on the clock. It’s accurate, fast-paced, exhilarating, even – but it won’t help you understand the world any better if that’s all you see. It can also be distorting when robust journalism can tip over into manufactured breathlessness, cutting off a profound piece about the refugee crisis to go to a report about the course inspection at Doncaster. Thought for the Day is, at its best, like watching not the second hand, but the hour hand. No less “now” or “contemporary”, but living by a different rhythm. And at least trying (if not always succeeding) to achieve a deeper perspective on today’s events by the change of pace itself. In our overstimulated, 24-hourconnected existence, we receive an unprecedented amount of information about the world, but we often receive it alone: listening in the car, sitting at a computer, scrolling through our phone. This can leave us rather overwhelmed, even lonely. Developing a regular habit of connecting with a deeper perspective is a way, not of escaping reality, but of deepening and strengthening our understanding of the world we live in. And at its heart, the feast of Christmas is this kind of moment writ large. We often measure time by the kind of Christmasses we have… “the first Christmas without her” or “the last Christmas in this house”. It’s a chance to reconnect with people who have known us a long time, to remember a deeper perspective and a more sustainable rhythm of living. And the meaning of this principal Christian festival is that human beings are not abandoned or alone in the face of the huge challenges we face. God is with us, say Christians, full of grace and truth. Jasvir Singh, leader of City Sikhs Since I was young, I’ve been fascinated by the church at the end of my parents’ road in west London. Every year, we would drive past it as people were leaving the Christmas Day service and I’d wonder what it must be like. Would I find the service familiar or challenging as a Sikh? Those thoughts would be at the back of my mind by the time we arrived at my uncle and aunt’s house, and I’d rush in to see my cousins and find our presents under the Christmas tree while my aunt would bring out freshly made samosas and pakoras as festive snacks. Christmas is an important time for many nonChristians. Travelling long distances to spend quality time with families and friends, exchanging presents and pretending to be happy with gifts we don’t like, cooking enough food to feed an army, trying not to burn the roast vegetables, and living off the leftovers for days afterwards. In many respects, Christmas Day is the same for most of us in Britain. A couple of years ago, I was invited to Midnight Mass at the church at the end of the road by a family friend who’s a Christian. The deep sense of community that I saw, of joy and happiness at the birth of a child born centuries ago whose life shaped an entire faith, was something I could relate to. The service felt familiar, and yet it was quite obviously different to the gurdwara, which is the Sikh place of worship. The experience helped me appreciate my own faith and identity even more, and it’s a happy coincidence that the tenth Sikh Guru’s birthday coincides with 25 December this year. Every religion has aspects that are familiar and strange, but they don’t often get the chance to explain their views to the wider world. Thought for the Day gives us an opportunity to learn and celebrate what all faiths have to say in a nuanced manner. For a few moments each day, it provides us with a different lens through which to see things, in much the same way that Midnight Mass gave me an insight into the spiritual side of Christmas and Christianity.
Exclusive behind-the-scenes photos reveal Peter Capaldi's last days on Doctor Who
After four years, Peter Capaldi is bowing out as the Doctor – and for the first time Radio Times is granted access all areas for his last days on set
Peter Capaldi's era on Doctor Who is about to come to an end. After four brilliant years on the show, Capaldi's Twelfth Doctor will step down on Christmas Day, making way for the first ever female Doctor, Jodie Whittaker, who will make her first appearance on the show at the end of Doctor Who 2017 Christmas special Twice Upon a Time. Radio Times photographer Ray Burmiston joined the Scottish actor for the filming of his final episode as the Doctor – check out the exclusive images below. Peter Capaldi wrote a touching farewell message to Doctor Who fans Has Peter Capaldi really left Doctor Who behind? “He’s texting me pictures of Tardises he finds in the street” says Steven Moffat Doctor Who: Twice Upon a Time spoiler-free preview Capaldi even left a touching farewell message for fans during his final shoot, but it was still business as usual, with the actor as committed as ever to giving the Doctor Who audience a good performance. Episode writer and departing showrunner, Steven Moffat said that getting Capaldi's send off right "took whatever emotions we were both having about leaving and put them on screen where they belong". Moffat added: "By the time we got to that part of filming I think Peter and I were probably the least emotional on set because we’d put it all in the show!" Radio DJ and friend of Capaldi Jo Whiley said when it came to the final episode, he wanted to do Doctor Who justice, putting all of his energy into it and doing it to "the very best of his abilities". Christmas special star Mark Gatiss said: "I’m sure that as he got to the last few days the sense of finality will have sunk in. You know, 'That’s the last time on location, that’s the last time I’ll run down a corridor, that’s the last time I fight a monster…' But it was a really joyous shoot to be a part of. " Photography by Ray Burmiston View Gallery on the source website
Christmas 2017: What to watch on TV today, Christmas Day
From Doctor Who to Call the Midwife and Mrs Brown's Boys, check out all the best shows to watch on TV this Christmas Day
Here's your definitive Christmas Day TV line-up – what will you be watching? The Highway Rat, 4.45pm BBC1 There's a moral to this story based on Gruffalo author Julia Donaldson’s children’s book, The Highway Rat. The film involves one greedy rat who encounters a very clever duck and it’s all narrated by Rob Brydon. It also includes the voices of David Tennant, Tom Hollander and Frances de la Tour. Doctor Who, 5.30pm BBC1 The Doctor Who Christmas special, Twice upon a Time, marks the end of Peter Capaldi and Steven Moffatt’s time on the show and promises an absorbing adventure. Mark Gatiss plays a British captain and the first ever female Doctor, Jodie Whittaker, arrives following the Doctor’s regeneration. Who made the BBC’s adorable Christmas 2017 advert? The 12 best shows to watch on TV this Christmas 11 best Christmas movies on Netflix Emmerdale, Coronation Street/Eastenders: 5.50pm, 8.00pm ITV/9.00pm BBC1 We're in for some unusual drama on Emmerdale according to show boss Ian McLeod, while in Weatherfield we've got Corrie's Billy on the edge of a cliff in the boot of a car. Albert Square doesn't disappoint with the drama explosives, delivering an action-packed episode with evidence that looks set to trigger Max Branning's downfall. There's nothing like a soap Christmas to put your disappointing roast potatoes into perspective. Strictly Come Dancing, 6.30pm BBC1 The Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special is back on our screens, welcoming back dancers of Strictly past including Colin Jackson, Robbie Savage and Kimberly Walsh. There’ll be a Charleston from Judy Murray - described by Bruno Tonioli as a ‘Christmas miracle’ - a performance by the professionals at Buckingham Palace, and a huge festive feel-good factor. The Great Christmas Bake Off, 7.40pm C4 You might have gone overboard on the mince pies and Quality Streets, but you can still watch festive sweet treats being made. Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith set four former Bake Off contestants a series of seasonal challenges. Val Stones, Beca Lyne-Prikis, Paul Jagger – renowned for his spectacular bread lion from series six – and the wonderful Selasi Gbormittah will be returning to a very festive looking Bake Off tent. Call the Midwife, 7.40pm BBC1 It's been a long time since Call the Midwife was on TV, but the popular period drama will be returning to the BBC towards the end of Christmas Day. With the Christmas episode set during 'the Big Freeze' of winter 1963, a Boxing Day blizzard disrupts the festivities of the midwives and nuns of Poplar. Upstart Crow: a Christmas Crow, 8.25pm BBC2 The Christmas special for Ben Elton's William Shakespeare comedy Upstart Crow shows David Mitchell's William Shakespeare preparing to show Eighth Night to Queen Elizabeth I (Emma Thompson). The Tudor comedy's first seasonal special shows the Bard juggling his tricky family with the London theatre scene. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2017/12/Upstart-Crow-MAIN-c2fdbfe.jpg" width="4324" height="2830" alt="WARNING: Embargoed for publication until 09:00:01 on 05/12/2017 - Programme Name: Upstart Crow - TX: n/a - Episode: A Christmas Crow (No. 7) - Picture Shows: Will (DAVID MITCHELL), Queen Elizabeth (EMMA THOMPSON) - (C) BBC - Photographer: Colin Hutton" title="A Christmas Crow" /> Victoria, 9.00pm ITV This two-hour long festive special starring Jenna Coleman as Queen Victoria and Tom Hughes as Prince Albert promises lots of action and lots of snow as the Queen's husband gets seriously into the Christmas spirit. Much of the drama's first Christmas special is filmed in Yorkshire, and Harewood House in Leeds is used for the scenes in Buckingham Palace. Mrs Brown's Boys, 10.00pm BBC1 Brendan O'Carroll's Irish mammy returns to the BBC at 10pm on Christmas Day, and O'Carroll's off-the-cuff comments are, as usual, the comedic highlights of the Mrs Brown's Boys annual Christmas special. Almost all members of Brendan O'Carroll's extended family are featured as Grandad shares his suspicion that the house is haunted and Rory undergoes plastic surgery.
Christmas 2017: What to watch on TV today, Christmas Eve
From Michael McIntyre's Big Show to Mary, Mel and Sue's Big Christmas Thank You, check out the best shows to watch on the night before Christmas
Here's your guide to what's on TV the night before Christmas. From David Walliams to Mary Berry, Mel and Sue, check out our guide to the best shows on TV this Christmas Eve. Ratburger, 6.00pm Sky 1 The adaptation of David Walliams’s children's book involves a bullied schoolgirl, a burger van man with a questionable hygiene rating and a dancing rat called Armitage at risk of facing the mincer. Walliams's family comedy follows several other adaptations of his children's books like Gangsta Granny and Mr Stink, and includes appearances from Sarah Hadland, Sophie Thompson and Nigel Planer. Mary, Mel and Sue’s Big Christmas Thank You, 7.00pm BBC1 Following the closure of the local school and post office, the community centre in Pentre, a small South Wales village, has become a key support for the residents. The much-loved former Bake-Off alumni – Mary Berry, Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins – put together a surprise for the volunteers at the centre, in the form of a Christmas party and a top to toe renovation. Channel 4 might just have won Christmas with this incredible new Bake Off trailer The 12 best shows to watch on TV this Christmas 11 best Christmas movies on Netflix Maigret in Montmartre, 8.30pm ITV Inspector Maigret (Rowan Atkinson) is back on our screens, and this time he finds himself navigating the darker side of Paris after a young woman named Arlette is found murdered in her home. The showgirl had in fact come to the police station the night before in fear of her life, so Maigret heads out onto the streets of the French capital to investigate. Michael McIntyre’s Big Christmas Show, 8.30pm BBC 1 One of Britain’s favourite comedians is back on stage and entertaining the masses at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London's West End. The show features Ainsley Harriott feeding a blindfolded victim Christmas dinner, and Alesha Dixon who becomes the latest Celebrity Send-to-All victim. Not Going Out, 9.35pm BBC1 Lee Mack’s sitcom is back for a Christmas special, with Sally Bretton, Bobby Ball and Hugh Dennis returning to the show. This year, Lee and Lucy (Sally Bretton) face a Christmas present-related parental nightmare when the grandparents buy the same present for their kids and give them to the children on Christmas Eve. Keep an eye out for a cameo from the late Keith Barron, who appears as a toy store salesman.
Christmas 2017: What to watch on TV today, Saturday 23rd December
Let the yearly Christmas telly binge commence with Bette and Joan, Victoria Wood, Pointless Celebrities and The World's Best Christmas Lights
It's Christmas Eve Eve, the festive TV specials are in full swing, so it's time to set up camp on the sofa and dig into the Quality Streets. Check out the best TV to watch today, Saturday 23rd December. What is on TV this Christmas? What is the greatest TV moment of 2017? What time is the Queen’s Christmas Speech 2017 on TV, and what is going to be in it? Pointless Celebrities, 6.15pm BBC1 A star-studded version of the much-loved general knowledge quiz show, with all the contestants boasting a Christmas music hit. Richard Osman and Alexander Armstrong will be quizzing stars like Jimmy Osmond and Jona Lewie, the man behind Christmas playlist favourite Stop the Cavalry. Music from The Darkness's Justin and Dan Hawkins close the show. Feud: Bette and Joan 9.00pm, 9.50pm BBC2 As the production of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? reaches its climax, the dispute between Bette and Joan suddenly takes a turn for the physical. Bette's relationship with her daughter becomes strained as she bonds with a new cast member, and Joan reveals an intimate detail about her past. The World's Best Christmas Lights, 8.00pm C4 A one-off film following the festive mission of Ged Comerford, head of operations at the Christmas Decorators, and his team. The Christmas decorating experts are in charge of adorning Bethlehem's Manger Square with lights and foliage, and the whole project takes over a week. Our Friend Victoria at Christmas, 9.30pm BBC1 An extended episode of Our Friend Victoria, in memory of Victoria Wood. Our Friend Victoria at Christmas is to be presented by Anne Reid and friends of the late comedian, Julie Walters and Dan Rigby, will be featuring on this show celebrating all things festive. Ant & Dec... The Missing Crown Jewels, 7.30pm ITV The James Bond-style thriller starring our favourite Geordie duo is shown in its entirety tonight, meaning we'll once again discover the identity of Maskface (the sketches first aired as part of Saturday Night Takeaway). Ant and Dec's whodunnit features Michael Sheen, Joanna Lumley and Clare Balding among other celebrities helping to crack the case. It's Christmas Live from the Royal Albert Hall, 8.00pm Sky 1 A variety of performances from artists like Melanie C, the Vamps and Shakin' Stevens. Jason Manford will be hosting in London's Royal Albert Hall, which is transformed into a rock 'n' roll winter wonderland. The perfect opportunity for a festive sing-along.