Best Christmas TV for 2025 – your guide to what's worth watching
Christmas is right around the corner, and nothing quite rings in the festive season without getting comfortable in front of the TV and tuning into various festive offerings and, fortunately, there are plenty of gems to look forward to on this year's schedule. From festive episodes of classics like Call the Midwife, All Creatures Great and Small and Death in Paradise to favourites and one-off specials including Amandaland, Mandy, Julia Donaldson's The Scarecrow's Wedding, Guz Khan's Stuffed and Brendan O'Carroll's Shedites, there's is plenty to look forward to! And the excitement doesn't stop at Christmas, with The Traitors and The Night Manager are returning to our screens for brand new seasons on New Year's Day. And if you're looking for a Christmas special of some of your entertainment favourites, then you're also in luck: there are festive episodes of The Masked Singer, Taskmaster, MasterChef and The Great British Sewing Bee on the horizon, while Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will host their final ever episode of Strictly Come Dancing. But there's no use telling you everything to expect – scroll on to find out for yourself what shows will be airing over the festive period and where to watch them. Best Christmas TV for 2025 – your guide to what's worth watching 1. Amandaland Christmas special It's time to return to SoHa, as Motherland spin-off Amandaland is back on our screens for a festive special! Lucy Punch reprises her hilarious leading role as Amanda, with Joanna Lumley as her mother Felicity. But it's a very special reunion this time round as Lumley will be joined by her Absolutely Fabulous partner in crime Jennifer Saunders, who will play her on-screen sister Aunt Joan – described as "a ball of country-living, enthusiastic upper-class bluster [and] very, very different from Felicity". The synopsis reads: "Amanda and the family head to Aunt Joan’s country house, but the plans change when Mal and Anne tag along and she struggles to recreate the magical Christmases she spent there as a child. "Anne’s in despair at being separated from her family, and Felicity is increasingly irritated by her sister’s constant high spirits. Meanwhile Mal sees a hidden photo that seems to reveal a deep family secret…" The Amandaland Christmas special will air on BBC One and iPlayer on Christmas Day at 9:15pm. 2. The Night Manager season 2 Nine years after the season 1 finale, The Night Manager returns for season 2 as Tom Hiddleston's Jonathan Pine returns for another action-packed mission. This time round, Pine is led to a violent encounter with a new player: Colombian businessman Teddy Dos Santos, played by Diego Calva. Other returning faces include Olivia Colman (The Crown) as Angela Burr, Alistair Petrie (Sex Education) as Sandy Langbourne, Douglas Hodge (Joker) as Rex Mayhew, Michael Nardone (Traces) as Frisky and Noah Jupe (A Quiet Place) as Daniel Roper. New faces also include Camila Morrone (Daisy Jones & The Six), Indira Varma (Doctor Who), Paul Chahidi (Wicked Little Letters), and Hayley Squires (Adult Material). The Night Manager season 2 will premiere on BBC One and iPlayer on New Year's Day 2026 (Thursday 1st January) at 9:05pm. 3. All Creatures Great and Small Christmas special "It’s Christmas 1945, the first peacetime Christmas after the war," reads the official synopsis for this festive episode. "With Helen feeling under the weather, it’s fallen on James to take on the Darrowby Nativity play." Elsewhere, "Siegfried is back at Mrs Stokes's Farm to see Hilda the goat, who’s been up to more mischief," while Mrs Hall is determined to win the Drovers' darts competition and take home the top prize: a turkey, which are in short supply due to the war. The Skeldale housekeeper "wants everyone to practise" to boost their chances, "but an old friend turns up surprising her and Siegfried" – with the vet making "a big decision about his future." Meanwhile, Tristan and Charlotte's relationship continues to go from strength to strength. All Creatures Great and Small Christmas special 2025 will air on 5 on Christmas Eve at 9pm. 4. Call the Midwife Christmas specials We're not just getting one Call the Midwife Christmas special this year, but two – and they're set to be their usual dose of heartwarming, emotional and hilarious. While plot details are under wraps for now, we do know that the episodes will feature a Poplar Christmas parade, several great costumes and things being more steady than ever between Trixie (Helen George) and Matthew (Olly Rix). Call the Midwife's two specials will air on BBC One and iPlayer at 8:15pm on Christmas Day and 8:30pm on Boxing Day respectively. 5. EastEnders This year's anticipated EastEnders Christmas special will feature a test of motherly love for Kat Moon (Jessie Wallace) as it relates to daughter Zoe (Michelle Ryan), Pam St Clement and Shaun Williamson's surprise returns as Pat and Barry for Nigel's ongoing dementia storyline, Max Branning's (Jake Wood) flash forward to 2027 and a return for Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf) being on the horizon. The EastEnders Christmas episodes will air on BBC One and iPlayer at 7:45pm and 9:45pm. 6. Death in Paradise Christmas special It's time to take a trip back to Saint Marie for another festive edition of the fan-favourite detective series. As well as the main returning cast, Josie Lawrence (Outside Edge), Kate Ashfield (Shaun of the Dead), Pearl Mackie (Doctor Who), James Baxter (Waterloo Road), Billy Harris (Ted Lasso), Oriana Charles and Alix Serman are all joining the festivities. This time round, the Christmas spirit will be unfolding in both Saint Marie and Swindon as an office Christmas party takes a very dark turn, with a stranger being found dead in their Caribbean villa. The Death in Paradise Christmas Special will air on BBC One and iPlayer on 28th December at 8:30pm. 7. Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special This year’s Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special will see six couples take to the dance floor in a bid to be crowned the Strictly Christmas Champion. The episode marks the final stint for long-running hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman but all the judges return once again, so we can expect plenty of praise and criticism from Head Judge Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke. The Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special will air on BBC One and iPlayer on Christmas Day at 5:30pm. 8. The Scarecrows' Wedding It's become Christmas tradition now for another animated adaptation of one of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's books. This year sees this tale of two devoted scarecrows get the animation treatment, with an all-star cast that includes Rob Brydon (Gavin and Stacey) as Reginald Rake, Jessie Buckley (Wicked Little Letters) as Betty O’Barley, Domhnall Gleeson (About Time) as Harry O’Hay and Sophie Okonedo (Slow Horses) as the Narrator. The Scarecrows' Wedding will air on BBC One and iPlayer on Christmas Day at 3:10pm. 9. Beyond Paradise Christmas special <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2025/11/Martha-d940585.jpg" width="4284" height="2856" alt="A group of people stand together indoors at a festive gathering, clapping and smiling. A man in a navy suit and a woman in a cream satin dress are at the front, both looking happy and celebratory. Behind them, two older women also clap, surrounded by warm fairy lights, stone walls, and a decorated Christmas tree, creating a cosy holiday atmosphere." title="Beyond Paradise" /> We return to Shipton Abbot for some festive cheer, with the guest cast of this year's episode including Adrian Edmondson (Alien: Earth), James Lance (Ted Lasso) and Jonny Weldon (One Day). "When Esther discovers a man on the steps of the Shipton Abbott police station with no memory, holding a photo of Humphrey, the team gets to work to uncover who the mysterious man is while balancing a flurry of festive cases," the synopsis reads. "At the same time, with the help of Anne, Zoe and a special guest, Martha races to pull off her secret plan while Kelby tries to help a mystery man trapped inside his snowman costume. "But with an influx of unexpected visitors, a slew of holiday crimes to crack, and a heartwarming reunion on the line, can the team juggle it all and still be ready for a life-changing reveal?" The Beyond Paradise Christmas special will air on BBC One and iPlayer on 21st December at 9pm. 10. Mandy Christmas special Diane Morgan’s hapless alter ego will be back on our screens this year in a Mandy Christmas special, which will see the character hoping to stay in and enjoy all the good television on. But as ever, there’s a daft adventure on the horizon as Mandy ends up dabbling in global diplomacy. The Mandy Who Knew Too Much will premiere on BBC Two and iPlayer on 22nd December 2025 at 10.25pm. 11. A Mary Berry Christmas In this one-hour festive special, Dame Mary Berry will enjoy "all the things that make Christmas such an important time of the year", according to the BBC. The beloved cook and presenter will explore the traditions that the nation likes to celebrate during the festive season, including delicious food, carols and picking out the perfect Christmas tree. As is tradition, Mary will be joined by an exciting line-up of special guests, including actress Alison Steadman and presenter Zoe Ball. A Mary Berry Christmas will premiere on BBC One and iPlayer on Wednesday 17th December at 9pm. 12. The Great British Sewing Bee The Great British Sewing Bee is returning with a Christmas Celebrity Special, which will see Lucy Beaumont (Celebrity Traitors), Anton Du Beke (Strictly Come Dancing), Susan Wokoma (Taskmaster) and Tom Wilson (Gladiators) test their crafty skills in a series of Christmas-themed tasks. The festive episode will be presented by Sophie Willan, who'll be replacing Sara Pascoe as main host of the series next year. The Great British Sewing Bee: Celebrity Christmas Special will premiere on BBC One and iPlayer on Christmas Eve at 7.25pm. 13. Run Away It's become a New Year's Day tradition now to binge-watch a Harlan Coben thriller, and this year is no different as Run Away is set to land on our screens to nurse any annoying hangovers or pre-work blues. The new series assembles a great cast once more with Gavin & Stacey's Ruth Jones and James Nesbitt leading the cast as private investigator Elena Ravenscroft and confused father Simon Greene. "Simon (Nesbitt) had the perfect life: loving wife and kids, great job, beautiful home. But then his eldest daughter Paige ran away and everything fell apart," the synopsis reads. "So now when he finds her, vulnerable and strung out on drugs in a city park, he finally has the chance to bring his little girl home. But it turns out she’s not alone, and an argument escalates into shocking violence. "In the aftermath, Simon loses his daughter all over again, and his search to find her will take him into a dangerous underworld, revealing deep secrets that could tear his family apart forever." Run Away premieres on Netflix on 1st January 2026. 14. Coronation Street Once again, this year's Corrie Christmas storyline is concerned with the icon that is Gail Platt (Helen Worth) and while the character did leave the cobbles last year, she's set to return (albeit on a video call) in a very special cameo. Elsewhere, there's secrets and lies aplenty at the Rovers Return as Eva wrestles with the guilt of keeping a big secret, the Websters are set to be left reeling following a tragic death and also, Billy Mayhew (Daniel Brocklebank) edging closer to discovering the abuse that Todd Grimshaw (Gareth Pierce) is facing at the hands of his boyfriend Theo Silverton (James Cartwright). The Coronation Street Christmas special will air on ITV1 and ITVX on Christmas Day at 7:15pm. 15. Madame Blanc Mysteries Christmas special <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2025/11/Sally-0e6b252.jpg" width="4800" height="3200" alt="A smiling woman stands indoors in front of a decorated Christmas tree with glowing lights. She is wearing a black, sheer, long-sleeved top with a dotted pattern and has her blonde hair styled up. She is holding a large, ornate, floral-patterned chest with gold accents placed on a green velvet-covered table. The setting appears festive and elegant, with detailed wall decorations in the background." title="The Madame Blanc Mysteries: Christmas Special (2025)" /> In this two-hour Christmas special episode, Jean, Dom, Judith and Jeremy attend an exclusive Christmas Eve event at the Musée de Sainte Victoire. As per the synopsis: "Jean is invited to authenticate a newly acquired treasure – a rare Ormolu box once owned by Marie Antoinette. But the festive mood turns dark when Jean discovers a ticking bomb hidden inside. "With just 90 minutes until detonation, the museum is sealed shut, the security guard is dead, and the race is on. Jean and the gang must crack the code and defuse the bomb before time runs out. This is Jean’s most perilous challenge yet – can she save the day?" The Madame Blanc Mysteries Christmas special will air on 5 on 23rd December at 8pm. 16. Red Eye season 2 Red Eye returns on New Year's Day, with the new season marking the return of Jing Lusi as DS Hana Li, while Line of Duty's Martin Compston joining the cast as Head of Embassy Security Clay Brody. One of ITV's top 10 dramas of last year, this new season will follow DS Hana Li and Compston's guest character, who are forced to "set aside past differences to solve a new high-stakes conspiracy". Red Eye will premiere on New Year’s Day on ITV and STV and will be available for streaming on ITVX and STV Player. 17. Stranger Things season 5 volume 2 and finale The final instalments of the anticipated fifth season of Stranger Things are set to be released over Christmas Day and New Year's, wrapping up the year in a decidedly dramatic fashion, we're sure. New characters have already been introduced for the final season, from Linda Hamilton's Dr Kay to Jake Connelly's Derek Turnbow, while Nell Fisher stuns in her role as Holly Wheeler. But what do the final four episodes have in store for the cast? We'll just have to wait and see. Stranger Things season 5 volume 2 premieres on 25th December (26th December in the UK) on Netflix, with the finale premiering on 31st December (1st January in the UK). 18. The Great Peep Show Christmas Bake Off The Great British Bake Off is returning with a Christmas special later this year, and there are some familiar faces amongst the festive line-up. Stars of the multi award-winning sitcom Peep Show are actually headed into the iconic tent as they swap awkward encounters for icing sugar as fan favourites David Mitchell, Olivia Colman, Isy Suttie, Matt King and Sophie Winkleman reunite for the first time since Peep Show wrapped in 2015. The Great Peep Show Christmas Bake Off is coming to Channel 4 this Christmas. 19. Dear Father Christmas The story of this one-off film follows 16-year-old Chris (Lenny Rush), who refuses to believe that Father Christmas isn’t real. With his dad (James Buckley) determined to “have the talk”, Chris’s mission to prove Father Christmas exists leads him on a hilarious and heartfelt adventure – complete with a star-studded ensemble cast including Greg Davies, Stephen Fry, Asim Chaudhry, Hannah Fry and more. Dear Father Christmas will air on Channel 4. 20. The Hunting Wives This US drama previously aired on Netflix stateside in July but has now found a home on ITV in time for some festive binge-watching. It's already been renewed for a second season, meaning that there's plenty more to look forward to in the dramatic series. Based on the novel by Mary Cobb, the series follows a woman as she and her family move from Boston to Texas. There, she grows close to a socialite — maybe too close — and becomes consumed by obsession, seduction and murder. The Hunting Wives will arrive on ITVX on Saturday 27th December 2025. 21. Amadeus Reimagining the legacy of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Will Sharpe stars as the musical genius, with the six-part series exploring the genius composer’s extraordinary career and his imagined rivalry with Salieri. Paul Bettany (WandaVision) stars as the envious court composer Antonio Salieri, while Gabrielle Creevy (In My Skin, Black Doves) plays Constanze Weber, Mozart’s fiercely loyal wife. Amadeus will launch on Sky and NOW on 21st December. 22. Two Doors Down Christmas special Beloved sitcom Two Doors Down is returning to our screens this Christmas, with the full cast of the Scottish series to reunite for a brand new festive episode. The cast for the episode includes Cathy (Mackichan), Christine (Elaine C Smith) Colin (Jonathan Watson), Alan (Graeme Stevely), Michelle (Joy McAvoy), Ian (Jamie Quinn) and his fiancé Gordon (Kieran Hodgson). Two Doors Down returns to BBC One and iPlayer this Christmas on Christmas Eve at 10pm. 23. The Masked Singer Christmas special It's everyone's favourite bonkers musical talent competition, with this year's festive special of The Masked Singer set to be just as good as previous iterations. There's set to be four brand new celebrities taking to the stage to try and wow the judges but as for who will be behind the masks, we'll just have to tune in and see. Joel Dommett returns as host of this year's Christmas episode, along with judges Mo Gilligan, Jonathan Ross, Davina McCall and Maya Jama. The Masked Singer Christmas special will air on ITV1 and ITVX. 24. Here We Go – Our New Year’s Fireworks Fantasaganza <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2025/12/Here-We-Go-8b1b35d.jpg" width="3882" height="2588" alt="Jude Morgan-Collie as Sam, Freya Parks as Amy, Katherine Parkinson as Rachel, Alison Steadman as Sue, Jim Howick as Paul, Tom Basden as Robin and Tori Allen-Martin as Cherry in Here We Go. They are stood raising champagne glasses for a photo, which is framed by gold tinsel and baubles, in front of a red background." title="Here We Go" /> Jim Howick (Ghosts) and Katherine Parkinson (The IT Crowd) return to lead the cast of this festive special, with Alison Steadman (Gavin & Stacey), Freya Parks (The School for Good and Evil), Jude Morgan-Collie (Good Girl’s Guide to Murder), Tori Allen-Martin (London Kills) all reprising their roles. The synopsis reads: "New Year’s Eve is fast approaching and this year Rachel is very keen to throw a massive party. Paul, less so: he’d much prefer a nice quiet holiday cottage with a sauna so he can sweat out the massive boil that’s recently appeared on his cheek; two quite different visions for seeing in the new year. "So begins a typically chaotic Jessop Family holiday, featuring a road trip, a missing dummy, and a large crate of unlicensed fireworks Paul picked up from a police auction." Here We Go – Our New Year’s Fireworks Fantasaganza will air on BBC One and iPlayer on New Year's Eve at 8pm. 25. Emmerdale There's set to be plenty of drama in the Dales as a festive special for Emmerdale is set to be an ITV highlight again this year. While fans of the series will be looking forward to plenty of action to unfold for many of the soap's characters, it looks as though times will continue to grow bleak for characters like Celia (Jaye Griffiths), Bear Wolf (Joshua Richards) and Kim (Claire King). Charity's (Emma Atkins) secret is also set to come to light but will her pregnancy come to light? The Emmerdale Christmas special will air on ITV1 and ITVX on Christmas Day at 6:15pm. 26. Celebrity MasterChef Christmas Cook Off While this year has already seen the celebrity version of MasterChef, this Christmas will see fresh-faced hopefuls taking to the kitchen to see if they have what it takes in the cooking stakes. This episode will see one lucky cook take home the Golden Whisk trophy, with GK Barry, Kola Bokinni, Nikki Fox and Iain Stirling all vying for the coveted prize. They'll have two tasks to impress, with the judges having also called in the help of last year’s Celebrity MasterChef winner, Vito Coppola. Celebrity MasterChef Christmas Cook Off will air on BBC One and iPlayer on Monday 22nd December at 8pm. 27. MasterChef Festive Extravaganza – Champion of Champions What do you get when you take MasterChef former champions and re-enter them into the kitchen that propelled their careers? Well, you get Champion of Champions, a fierce kitchen battle to see if they have what it takes to take the Golden Pan trophy home. This episode sees 2013 champion Natalie Coleman, 2023’s Chariya Khattiyot, 2020's Thomas Frake and 2024's Brin Pirathapan going head-to-head to see if they can come up with plates that will impress the judges and revered restaurant critic, Tom Parker Bowles. MasterChef Festive Extravaganza – Champion of Champions will air on BBC One and iPlayer on Monday 29th December at 8pm. 28. Bullseye Christmas special Freddie Flintoff returns as host of the rebooted version of Bullseye, with the classic darts-based show set to bring some cheer to the TV line-up. As of now, we don't know who will be competing but last year's special featured champion Luke Littler, so we'll just have to see who the show has under their sleeves. Bullseye Christmas special will air on ITV1 and ITVX on Christmas Day at 8:15pm. 29. Stuffed Guz Khan is used to making audiences laugh in the likes of Man Like Mobeen but here, he takes on a different kind of role in Stuffed as Arslan Farooqi. The 60-minute special sees Arslan receive a £8000 Christmas bonus and set off for a trip of a lifetime with his multi-faith family. As per the synopsis: "His wife Hannah (Morgana Robinson), his two daughters and brother-in-law Jamie (Theo Barklem-Biggs) are all set for the ultimate festive adventure. However, when office worker Arslan discovers the bonus was a mistake and must be repaid immediately, Christmas chaos ensues - and disaster follows the family at every turn. "Together with new holiday friend Lily (Sue Johnston), they must find a way out of this predicament and hope for a Christmas miracle that can save Arslan’s job and the family’s livelihood. Stuffed is a modern-day Christmas caper for the whole family to enjoy this yuletide season." Stuffed will air on BBC One and iPlayer on Tuesday 23rd December at 9pm. 30. Amanda and Alan's Spanish Christmas Fresh off the nationwide success of Celebrity Traitors, Alan Carr returns to our screens once again with his friend Amanda Holden as they venture off to Spain. Returning to the village of Moclín in southern Spain, the pair set out to throw a spectacular festive party as a heartfelt thank you to the locals who helped them along the way. They're set to bring their usual chaos and hilarity as they dive into Spanish Christmas traditions, making homemade treats and more. Amanda and Alan's Spanish Christmas will air on BBC One and iPlayer on Saturday 27th December at 5:45pm. 31. The Celebrity Apprentice Christmas special Set to make its return for two brand new festive episodes, The Celebrity Apprentice will be taking this batch of celebrities to Lapland for a challenge that's set to be tougher than ever – and will be able to be sampled by the general public. In aid of Children in Need, the candidates will be split into two groups and sent to Lapland to develop their own gingerbread biscuits. Celebs taking on the task this year include TV presenter AJ Odudu, broadcaster Angela Scanlon, Radio 1 DJ Charlie Hedges, comedian Eddie Kadi, EastEnders actor Jake Wood and more. The Celebrity Apprentice Christmas special will air on BBC One and iPlayer on 29th December at 9pm, with the second and final episode coming the next day, also at 9pm. 32. The Good Ship Murder Christmas special Just like last year, we're set to return to the seas as The Good Ship Murder returns for its Christmas special for 2025. While plot details remain under wraps for now, we can expect plenty more drama as Catherine Tyldesley and Shayne Ward are reunited as First Officer Kate Woods and detective Jack Grayling. As per the synopsis, we're set to go to Alicante for this episode. It continues: "Donna, a woman claiming to suffer from a life-changing illness, boards the ship with her loyal friend Bernie. As the festive voyage begins, Donna charms fellow passenger Gary and yearning for a Christmas miracle, visits a remote monastery. There she meets Rodriguez, a mysterious man of the cloth, and Thomasina, an enigmatic nun. But the holiday cheer turns dark when Bernie is found dead. "With Gary, Rodriguez, and Thomasina each under scrutiny, the hunt for the truth leads deep into a web of deceit and desperation. When the real story finally comes to light, it upends everything the crew thought they knew about the tragedy. "Meanwhile Jack, recently sacked from the ship, is lying low performing to half-empty rooms in a grimy dive bar. The monastery murder draws Kate back to him, and with Jamil’s help, will the two finally rekindle their romance?" The Good Ship Murder Christmas special will air on 5 on 29th December at 9pm. 33. The Great Festive Pottery Showdown <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2025/11/777981S4-Embargo-0001-Tuesday-25th-November-The-Great-Celebrity-Pottery-Throw-Down-2025-3-ed7cb9d.jpg" width="5472" height="3648" alt="Sarah Hadland, Tim Vine, Colin Murray, Amber Gill, Siobhan McSweeney, Keith Brymer Jones and Rich Miller sat and stood next to each other, smiling ahead in front of a Christmas backdrop." title="77798_1_S4_- Embargo 0001 Tuesday 25th November - The Great Celebrity Pottery Throw Down 2025-3" /> Comedian Tim Vine, actor Sarah Hadland, broadcaster Colin Murray and reality star Amber Gill are all taking on the pottery wheel for this year's festive-themed episode. While we'll just have to watch and see who has got what it takes when it comes to crafting amazing bowls, trinkets and the like, we do know that Siobhán McSweeney will host the celebrity festive edition. Judges Keith Brymer Jones and Rich Miller also return, tasked with deciding whether the results of the wheel should be displayed with pride or not. The Great Festive Pottery Showdown will air on Channel 4 on 26th December at 7:45pm. 34. Taskmaster: Champion of Champions Alex Horne and Greg Davies are set to put former Taskmaster champions to the test, with an expectantly fierce battle for the overall title. This year, Sam Campbell, John Robins, Andy Zaltzman, and Mathew Baynton return to see if they have what it takes to concur a whole new batch of tasks, that will likely be a lot more difficult and far-fetched than their previous stints. Taskmaster: Champion of Champions will air on Channel 4 on 22nd December at 9pm. 35. Taskmaster's New Year Treat Taskmaster fans are being treated in plentiful supply this year, with not just Champion of Champions but also the annual New Year Treat. An eclectic mix of five famous faces from all corners of the entertainment world will take on a raft of challenges, with those including BAFTA-winning TV chef and musician Big Zuu, former footballer Jill Scott MBE, actress and presenter Rose Ayling-Ellis MBE, BRIT-nominated singer and musician Sam Ryder, as well as lexicographer, etymologist and presenter Susie Dent. Taskmaster's New Year Treat will air on Channel 4. 36. The Family Next Door If there's one thing that Australian dramas know how to do, it's build tension – so if you're looking for a gripping new series, look no further than The Family Next Door. This series follows enigmatic Isabelle as she moves into a small seaside cul-de-sac. There, her obsessive drive to solve a mystery casts suspicion on four neighbouring families but will she be able to get to the bottom of this case that she can't seem to let go of? The Family Next Door will air on ITVX on 21st December. 37. Gladiators: Celebrity Special Joe Wicks will be taking on presenter Sam Thompson while boxer Nicola Adams will be taking on podcaster Vogue Williams in this celebrity special of Gladiators. The BBC series has continued to go from strength to strength since it was rebooted for the BBC and there's a reason it's known as the toughest show on TV. Who will come out triumphant after the selection of challenges? We'll have to see. Gladiators: Celebrity Special will air on BBC One and iPlayer on Christmas Day at 3:35pm. 38. The Repair Shop at Christmas There's a raft of very special faces set to enter the repair shop this Christmas including Dame Helen Mirren, who wishes to repair a broken cello that has come into her possession. Now belonging to a care home of which Dame Helen is a supporter, she's intent on getting it fixed for the residents and their families to enjoy. Elsewhere, author Julia Donaldson and Rob Brydon also want to repair toy farmhouse, which has helped inspire some of Julia’s best-loved books. The synopsis adds: "The team also fix a remarkable mechanical reindeer, a broken sledge, and a dilapidated carol book that plays a central role in a much celebrated Sheffield Christmas tradition." The Repair Shop at Christmas will air on BBC One and iPlayer on Friday 26th December at 7:30pm. 39. The Yorkshire Vet at Christmas The vets and nurses throw themselves into a festive fundraising challenge to support charities close to their hearts. The Dogs Trust slogan, “A dog is for life, not just for Christmas”, may be nearly 50 years old, but Peter Wright is determined to make a real difference this year. He and Julian Norton each lead rival teams in a series of sponsored events packed with fun and festive spirit. The Yorkshire Vet at Christmas will air on 22nd December at 8pm. 40. A Ghost Story for Christmas: The Room in the Tower Mark Gatiss returns with another Ghost Story for Christmas, this time being led by Dame Joanna Lumley and Tobias Menzies. Marking Gatiss's eighth Christmas story for the BBC, this one is set in the inter-war years and sees Roger Winstanley being haunted by an unsettling, recurring dream for the past 15 years. The dream itself involves an invitation to spend the night in the house of an acquaintance, where an unseen terror lurks and the figures who populate the dream seem to age in real time. However, as per the synopsis: "Nightmare and waking life seem to finally collide when an invitation to the dreaded room in the tower becomes all too real…" A Ghost Story for Christmas: The Room in the Tower will air on BBC Two and iPlayer on Christmas Eve at 10pm. 41. Sister Boniface Christmas special <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2025/09/Sister-Boniface-Mysteries-season-4-c974a8a.jpg" width="2855" height="1903" alt="Ruth Felix Livingstone, Sister Boniface, DI Sam Gillespie and WPC Peggy Button in a grassy green with a church and blue sky in the background all looking at the camera, as Sister Boniface holds out a magnifying glass." title="Sister Boniface Mysteries season 4" /> Lorna Watson returns as Sister Boniface for another Christmas special set to be full of mystery, intrigue but also heartwarming moments. While plot details are currently under wraps, we can expect the kind of cosy crime plot that will leave us feeling all warm inside for the season. Last year's episode was centred around a fittingly festive panto but we'll just have to wait and see what Sister Boniface and her team are set to face. Sister Boniface Christmas special will air on BBC One and iPlayer. 42. Mrs Brown's Boys Christmas and New Year specials Brendan O'Carroll reprises his leading role for two Mrs Brown's Boys specials set to air across Christmas and New Year's. The first, Mammy's Bottles, sees Mrs Brown "rediscover the meaning of family as she gathers those closest to her together for a Christmas photo. Buster unveils another of his signature Christmas trees with maximum impact and Cathy frets about what presents to buy everyone". As for the New Year episode, Stormin' Mammy, "tensions are high as Agnes and the gang prepare for an incoming storm. Buster’s flying high as he nervously awaits his birthday parachute jump. Winnie receives a shock to the system and a lost Nun looks for help". Mrs Brown's Boys will air on BBC One and iPlayer at 10:15pm on Christmas Day and 10:05pm on New Year's Day. 43. Shedites <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2025/12/shedites-cf82623.jpg" width="4214" height="2809" alt="Shane Casey as Paul, Brendan O'Carroll as Jimmy, Deidre O'Kane as Councillor Orla, Alan Wilson as Postman Padraig, Danny O'Carroll as Cheesy, Phil Davis as Harry, Simon Delaney as Gavin and Paddy Houlihan as Paddy the Liar all crowded round a laptop and wooden desk, looking surprised." title="545616,TITLE:Shedites" /> Also from the Mrs Brown's Boys team, Shedites is a new half-hour comedy that is set in and around the men’s shed in a village in Ireland. The synopsis reads: "It’s a place where men make themselves useful building and repairing things, and along the way find company through unlikely friendships, a sense of purpose, and a mug of strong tea. For many, the men’s sheds offer a new lease of life, and the Rathbowen shed is no exception." Shedites will air on BBC One and iPlayer on New Year's Day at 10:35pm. 44. The Traitors season 4 After the monumental success of The Celebrity Traitors that only just finished airing, it doesn't seem as though the gap between Traitors action is all that bad any longer. Still, nothing quite beats seeing a raft of civilians trying to suss out who is a Traitor or Faithful in the fittingly moody castle setting, with Claudia Winkleman providing plenty of meme-able moments in due course, we're sure. The Traitors season 4 will premiere on New Year's Day on BBC One and iPlayer at 9:05pm. 45. The Big Fat Quiz of the Year What's better than lounging on the sofa after Christmas, with your hand in a chocolate selection box and angrily answering some general knowledge questions relating to the rollercoaster of the year we've all had? Nothing really – so it's a good thing that Big Fat Quiz of the Year is returning for another edition. This time, host Jimmy Carr is joined by Jonathan Ross, Richard Ayoade, Katherine Ryan, Nick Mohammed, Roisin Conaty and Lou Sanders. The Big Fat Quiz of the Year will air on Channel 4. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Wallace & Gromit creator teases a potential return for Feathers McGraw – and reveals hilarious hidden Easter egg moments
Nick Park tells us what’s next for the evil bird after Vengeance Most Fowl.
Criminal mastermind Feathers McGraw, the penguin who cleverly disguises himself as a chicken, returned last Christmas in Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, much to the delight of fans. He first appeared in 1993’s Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers, where he stole the Blue Diamond. For his recent revenge, he escaped his prison (the zoo) and hacked Wallace’s smart gnome, Norbot, to create a whole army of evil minions to help reunite him with the precious gem. But he was once again thwarted by inventor Wallace and his loyal pooch Gromit, who swapped the diamond for a turnip. We last saw Feathers, outsmarted and deflated, escaping on the back of a train, but crucially, he was not caught by the police, which means he’s still at large, always a firm fixture on a “wanted” poster. Where exactly is he then, if not in prison? Talking exclusively to Radio Times, Wallace & Gromit creator Nick Park reveals, “He’s somewhere in Yorkshire. Well, who knows where he is? He doesn't let us know these things or what his plans are. A lot of people ask about Feathers McGraw, and the response since last Christmas has been brilliant. We're still reeling from it to be honest.” Does that mean we can expect Feathers to return with another cunning plan? Park teases, “Watch this space... who knows? He’s unpredictable.” With lots of unfinished business with his enemies Wallace and Gromit, he might come out of hiding when the time is right. Until then, you can catch plenty of Easter eggs when rewatching Vengeance Most Fowl, a big part of any Aardman Animations film. Remember when Feathers actually made a very brief cameo at the end of Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget?! Park, who directed Vengeance Most Fowl with Merlin Crossingham and co-created the story with Mark Burton, tells us some of his favourites. For instance, Feathers’s pet seal actually has a name. “No one would ever know this, because it was more of a joke we had among ourselves, but we called him Ronseal, which is, I guess, a very British joke. It's Ronseal that you paint your fences with.” Park, who’s from Preston, says the barge chase scene pays homage to his Lancashire roots. “My dad used to watch The African Queen on TV with Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn, and that was the name of the boat, so we called one of the barges The Accrington Queen. Some people get that.” Fans will notice that Gromit is an avid reader throughout all the films, and he’s often got his nose in a good book, with puns created from the titles or author names: Pup Fiction, The Dogfather, The Republic by Pluto, Crime and Punishment by Fido Dogstoyevsky. Park mentions that in Vengeance Most Fowl, he’s reading a magazine about gardening in the future called Gardens of the Galaxy by Alan Titchmarsh. “We had to call up Alan to get permission to use that,” he explains. “He was very happy and supportive of it.” Read our full interview with Nick Park, all about making our Christmas cover with Shaun the Sheep and Gromit, in our Christmas issue – in stores now. Read more: Wallace and Gromit creator reveals whether Aardman Animations will use AI in future – and what they won’t compromise on Wallace & Gromit creators reveals how they celebrated Oscar nomination Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl is available now on BBC iPlayer and Netflix. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Best vintage Christmas movies to watch now – 11 festive classics and where to watch them
From It's a Wonderful Life to The Apartment, here's our list of the very best Christmas films from yesteryear.
Christmas movies have perhaps never been in greater supply, with Netflix and its streaming competitors now in the habit of releasing a glut of brand new festive films every single year. But while there have been some great new additions to the canon in recent times – none more so than Alexander Payne's terrific Oscar-nominated The Holdovers – you have to go back decades to find some of the best ever examples of the genre. Of course, It's A Wonderful Life tends to be the most cited vintage classic, and with good reason, but there are plenty of other options from yesteryear if you're looking for something traditional as we count down the days to 25th December. To help you out, we've put together a list of 11 great Christmas movies released between 1934 and 1960, including everything from a Laurel and Hardy favourite to a revered adaptation of A Christmas Carol and a couple of delightful movie musicals. Read on to see our list – and details on how you can watch them. 1. It's a Wonderful Life (1946) This masterpiece from Frank Capra is a film with much more to it than festive feel-good sentimentality and still has a lot to say about community spirit. As the suicidal man who is shown the value of his life by his guardian angel, central character George Bailey is Mr Deeds, John Doe and Mr Smith rolled into one, and only James Stewart could have so successfully lent him the self-doubt that gnaws away at his essential decency. As with all good morality tales, the villain has to be exceptional, too, and Lionel Barrymore is at the peak of his powers as the evil Potter. The term Capra-esque is too often misapplied: forget the imitations and revel in the genuine article. – David Parkinson Where to watch: ITVX, Prime Video and NOW 2. The Shop Around the Corner (1940) This wonderful romantic comedy drama, about pen pals who fall in love without realising they work together, contains delightful performances by Margaret Sullavan (full of grace and warmth) and the young James Stewart (a portrait of perfection). The plot is paper-thin, but under the deft direction of the great Ernst Lubitsch the film (based on Nikolaus Laszlo's play Parfumerie) has charm in abundance. It was remade in 1998 as You've Got Mail, with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. – Tony Sloman Where to watch: Rent or buy on Prime Video, Google Play and YouTube from £3.49. 3. White Christmas (1954) This partial remake of the 1942 film Holiday Inn – the Bing Crosby movie that gave the world the Irving Berlin song White Christmas – provided Paramount with an opportunity to introduce its new screen process Vistavision. Crosby's Holiday Inn partner Fred Astaire wasn't available, and Donald O'Connor pulled out, so Danny Kaye reluctantly agreed to second billing to co-star with Crosby, in what proved to be a fortuitous move. The story, as if you need reminding, is about a song-and-dance team who travel up to Vermont to help their former army commander save his inn from foreclosure. Kaye is superb, especially in his knockout dance routine with Vera-Ellen, and the direction from veteran Michael Curtiz rightly embraces the sentiment rather than keeping it at bay. – Tony Sloman Where to watch: NOW 4. Babes in Toyland (1934) Fairy-tale whimsy with Laurel and Hardy! What could be better for children of all ages? Victor Herbert's light operetta is adapted to the extent there's nothing left of the original, with Stan and Ollie as incompetent assistants to Santa Claus. They make 100 six-foot wooden soldiers instead of 600 foot-tall ones, but the outsize toys come in handy when miser Silas Barnaby parts Tom-Tom from his beloved Bo-Peep and tries to take over Mother Goose's nurseryland. Simple-minded joy. – Tom Hutchinson Where to watch: Rent or buy on Prime Video, Google Play and YouTube from £3.49. 5. Remember the Night (1940) Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray, both at the top of their form and perfect foils for one another, co-star in this romantic comedy, written by Preston Sturges and directed by Mitchell Leisen. The action concerns a shoplifter (Stanwyck) whose trial is delayed by the Christmas holiday, leaving her somewhat adrift. Sympathetic, assistant district attorney MacMurray takes pity on her and brings her home to his family’s snowbound country home for Christmas. An absolute delight, combining warmth and charm with a little sentimentality and humour, woven together with stylish ease by all concerned. – Robyn Karney Where to watch: Not currently streaming, but available to buy on Blu-ray 6. Miracle on 34th Street (1947) This isn’t the benign remake with Richard Attenborough, but the marvellous original first shown in the UK as The Big Heart. Natalie Wood plays a jaded youngster who knows there's no such thing as Father Christmas because her mother, Maureen O'Hara, organises a New York department store's yearly parade, and Wood has always seen Santa played by drunken old men. Then along comes Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) to work some Christmas magic. The great plot was rightly awarded Oscars for best screenplay and original story, while Gwenn also won as best supporting actor. Indeed, Gwenn became so identified with this role that every holiday he found himself hired to hand out presents at the houses of such Hollywood notables as Louis B Mayer. Children may prefer the newer, more obvious version, but parents will warm to this utterly beguiling original. – Tony Sloman Where to watch: Disney+ 7. Scrooge (1951) Released in the US under Dickens's original title, A Christmas Carol, this is easily the best screen version of the much-loved yuletide tale. The ever-versatile Alastair Sim is impeccable as the miser who comes to see the error of his ways through the promptings of the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Future. Michael Hordern makes a splendid Jacob Marley and Mervyn Johns a humble Bob Cratchit, while George Cole does well as the younger, carefree Scrooge. Beautifully designed by Ralph Brinton and directed with unexpected finesse by Brian Desmond Hurst, this is not to be missed. – David Parkinson Where to watch: Tubi 8. Meet Me in St Louis (1944) This portrayal of a perfect American family – including Mary Astor as the mom and Judy Garland as one of four daughters – was too sugary for some critical tastes at the time, but it can be viewed today as a vintage MGM musical. Whatever the film’s minor flaws, they are more than made up for by some dazzling musical numbers – including Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, The Trolley Song and Skip to My Lou – enhanced by the masterly direction of Vincente Minnelli at the top of his game. Providing a romanticised but still uplifting depiction of life in St Louis at the beginning of the 20th century, this may be a tale that only works against the backdrop of a more innocent age, but it’s delightful, and too good to miss. – Peter Freedman Where to watch: Rent or buy on Prime Video, Google Play and YouTube from £3.49 9. Holiday Affair (1949) In this absolutely charming yet little-known RKO Christmas movie, Janet Leigh plays a widowed single mother torn between Robert Mitchum and Wendell Corey (that's a contest?) and, not surprisingly, drawn to the one her son prefers. There's a sweet opening sequence and a nice sense of New York at Christmas time that's a touch reminiscent of Miracle on 34th Street. Mitchum reveals what a subtle actor he could be and Leigh proves yet again that she was one of the most delectable of cinematic charmers. Cynics should steer well clear, but if you're in the right mood this is delightful seasonal entertainment. – Tony Sloman Where to watch: BBC iPlayer 10. Christmas in Connecticut (1945) A corny little piece, and the hokum is hopelessly dated now, but it is still enjoyable, nevertheless. Barbara Stanwyck almost convinces as the oh-so-chic journalist whose column extols the virtues of home cooking and country living, who, as a promotional stunt, is forced to look after a navy hero (Dennis Morgan) for Christmas except, of course, she lives in the city, can't cook and has to rent a cottage in Connecticut. The idea is sound enough, but it becomes awfully sentimental under Peter Godfrey's uninspired direction. Still, Sydney Greenstreet is splendid as Stanwyck's boss, and, although lacking in true wit (one wonders what Billy Wilder or Preston Sturges would have made of it), it's a good deal better than the 1992 TV remake, directed by no less than Arnold Schwarzenegger, with Dyan Cannon in the Stanwyck role.– Tony Sloman Where to watch: Rent or buy on Prime Video, Google Play and YouTube from £3.49. 11. The Apartment (1960) This classic from Billy Wilder sees Jack Lemmon's put-upon, snuffling insurance clerk CC Baxter basically offer his apartment to his superiors so that they can indulge in extramarital trysts. That he does it in return for promotions that never come makes Buddy Boy Baxter a sad case indeed. But Wilder cleverly veils the plot's darker side and operates the movie as a light romantic comedy. He is helped immensely by Lemmon's skilled performance, which instantly earns our sympathy, and his character's redemption comes when Shirley MacLaine's elevator girl – mistress of unscrupulous boss Fred MacMurray – gets in a fix and he comes to her aid. From such potentially edgy material Wilder and co-writer IAL Diamond sculpt an unforgettable romance that won five Oscars, including best picture, direction and screenplay. – Andrew Collins Where to watch: ITVX Read our guide to the best Christmas TV for 2025 Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Elf screenwriter on its lasting legacy: "It's something that's rare and special"
Back in 2022, David Berenbaum spoke exclusively to RadioTimes.com about writing the script for one of the most enduring Christmas films of the 21st century.
Since its release more than two decades ago, Elf has secured its place as a bonafide Christmas classic. The image of Will Ferrell cheerfully gallivanting around Manhattan in his yellow tights has become iconic, as has the declaration that the "best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear". Given its incredible success, you wouldn't necessarily think it was all the idea of a novice screenwriter – but that was very much the case. The film's origins trace back to the mid-1990s, when young writer David Berenbaum had just moved to LA from America's East Coast. Back in 2022, he spoke exclusively to RadioTimes.com about the film and its lasting legacy. "I was kind of really missing East Coast winters," he recalled over the phone. "I was not used to LA winters at all. I sort of missed the family and everything like that and so I essentially surrounded myself with all sorts of Christmas movies. And then I started writing one." Interestingly, the initial idea he had for a Christmas movie was not Elf but an entirely separate film titled Christmas in New Jersey – a romcom that never went on to be produced. But although that script didn't go anywhere itself, it did open all sorts of doors that would later make Elf possible. "It got me in the door with all sorts of people and they said, 'What's next?'," he explained. "And then I thought of the idea for Elf because I was surrounded by all this Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Rankin/Bass stuff. And I sort of thought it would be amusing to put a human into that sort of environment. "Buddy is sort of a misfit, he doesn't fit in – Rudolph is sort of a misfit, he doesn't fit in. And they both go off on quests. So that was sort of the beginning of that – Rudolph mixed with a healthy dose of Big, the Tom Hanks movie." It was Big which ended up serving as "a bit of a template" for Elf's script in the early stages of development, with Berenbaum using Hanks's character Josh Baskin as a "guidepost" for the character of Buddy the Elf, well before Will Ferrell first got involved. Indeed, in those first days of putting pen to paper, Ferrell was hardly on Berenbaum's radar at all – he was only just getting started on Saturday Night Live – but fast forward a few years and it was the star himself who played a key role in getting the film the green light following a number of false starts. As Berenbaum explained: "It had gone out and was optioned once, and they put an actor on it and were looking at directors, and nothing sort of materialised from that. And then right after that the option expired, it was picked up by another company for another year and went down a development road, and nothing happened with that." It was then that Bernabaum's manager had the idea that Ferrell would be perfect for the lead role, and after he'd attached himself things quickly began to gather pace – with Jon Favreau signing on as director and working on a couple of rewrites with Berenbaum (including a change to the ending that brought in the famous Christmas cheer scene). avreau himself has previously stated that he initially wasn't interested in the script, explaining in a 2020 interview with Rolling Stone that the original version was "much darker" – but this isn't how Berenbaum remembers it. "I think it was always sort of lighter in tone," he said. "I don't know about that. It was always sort of light on its feet – it was very much something that Disney was considering making for a while because I was employed at Disney at the time. So it was, I thought, always a very sweet story." Regardless of what the original version of the film might have looked like, it can't be denied that Ferrell put his own distinctive stamp on the script as soon as he got his hands on it. Berenbaum was kept involved by the producers throughout the process – spending a couple of weeks on set – and watching the star take his script and run with it was something he got a great deal of enjoyment out of. "I can't quite frankly think of another actor who would be better playing the role than Will," he said. "I mean, realistically the movie doesn't work at all without Will Ferrell as Buddy the Elf. So to see him inhabit that role and really bring it to life was amazing, I mean he would do an ad lib and he would go here and there – he would take it in unexpected directions and he has such an infectious energy that really just brought the entire thing to life." Of course, Ferrell wasn't the only big name in the cast, and Berenbaum was especially delighted about another actor who was brought in to play a key supporting role: the late James Caan, who plays Buddy's biological father Walter. "When I heard that James Caan was going to be playing Walter I thought that was a stroke of genius," he explained. "To have Sonny Corleone playing against this sweet, innocent Elf, I just thought would be incredible. I had grown up watching The Godfather, and to think that James Caan was going to be in this movie was kind of insane to me. And, you know, it could not have worked better!" And there were other actors that he was equally happy to see bringing his characters to life. "I just thought that literally every casting decision was spectacular," he continued. "Bob Newhart as Papa Elf, Ed Asner as a sort of a grumpy but sweet, crusty Santa, and then Zooey Deschanel – it just sort of went straight down the line. And they had character actors filling out the universe of this movie, real sort of independent actors. It made it feel real, these actors really grounded the movie in a way that let Will just kind of run wild. And I think that was sort of the secret sauce that made the movie work." Berenbaum was already "over the moon" when he found out the movie was getting made, and watching the process of it being put together was something he was deeply proud of too – but it wasn't until he watched it in front of an audience for the first time that he realised quite how big a hit he had on his hands. "I mean, clearly, there was an energy and electricity there that you can feel," he recalled. "And you know going through all that was Will's performance and Favreau's direction. It retained its heart – people could really feel the movie from the beginning." From that point onwards, the film hasn't looked back: it's watched more times every December than just about any other 21st-century film, and previously finished fourth in our RadioTimes.com poll to crown the greatest Christmas film ever made. So how often does Berenbaum revisit it? "When it played in theatres out here for the years, I would take my kids to go see it and that was fun to share with them," he responded. "And, you know, as we're decorating the tree, we'll sort of put it on and it's a great thing to have Buddy come back into your life every year, this time of year. It's really quite amazing." The film has also taken on a life of its own when it comes to reimaginings and parodies – from a 2022 Asda Christmas advert to a musical theatre version that opened on Broadway in 2010 – and Berenbaum is very happy to see the film's legacy live on in this way. He's less sure, however, when it comes to talk of a potential sequel. There were reports at one point that Ferrell had turned down a huge offer to reprise the title role in a follow-up, and for now, Berenbaum feels that might just have been the correct decision. "I mean, there have been discussions over the years," he said. "I think Buddy's story had a good beginning, middle and end and I think there are other ways to look into that world and that universe and see if there are other things that can spring out of it. "But I'm very satisfied with the way it is and the way that people have embraced it into their homes – that is something that's rare and special. And I don't know if Will getting back into the tights would be perhaps the best idea at this point!" Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
How to watch Julia Donaldson's The Scarecrows' Wedding and release date
Another of Julia Donaldson's beloved tales is coming to the BBC this Christmas.
Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's adorable tale, The Scarecrows' Wedding, will be brought to life by Magic Light Pictures for the BBC this Christmas. For over a decade, her beloved stories, ranging from The Gruffalo to Zog and beyond, have been adapted with a star-studded cast for a Christmas Day treat. This year is no different, as Domhnall Gleeson and Jessie Buckley lend their voices to Harry O'Hay and Betty O'Barley, respectively. They're joined by Rob Brydon as the villainous Reginald Rake and Sophie Okonedo as the narrator. The lovely tale recounts the story of two scarecrows who fall in love on a farmer's field and plan to have the best wedding ever, but it's not without peril as Reginald tries to come between the pair with potentially disastrous consequences... Read on for your guide on how to watch The Scarecrows' Wedding, and when it will be on TV this Christmas. How to watch The Scarecrows' Wedding The Scarecrows' Wedding will air on BBC One at 3:10pm on Christmas Day. And after it's aired on the BBC, you'll be able to catch it on BBC iPlayer whenever you desire. You can also find the other Magic Light adaptations on BBC iPlayer right now, so there's plenty to keep little ones entertained over the festive period. Check out the trailer for The Scarecrows' Wedding below: View oEmbed on the source website Read our guide to the best Christmas TV for 2025 The Scarecrows' Wedding will air this Christmas on the BBC. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Best Christmas films on Disney Plus in 2025 – from Home Alone to The Muppet Christmas Carol
The streamer's collection of festive fare includes both beloved classics and underseen gems.
While Netflix are undoubtedly the most productive of the major streamers when it comes to releasing brand new Christmas films every year, it's arguably Disney Plus which has the best selection of proper Yuletide classics. The library includes such beloved gems as Home Alone, The Muppet Christmas Carol and two versions of Miracle on 34th Street, alongside a couple of films that are known to start debates as to whether they can truly qualify for Christmas status: Die Hard and The Nightmare Before Christmas. But that's not all. You can also find a number of other seasonal films on the platform, including some great options for younger viewers and even an Oscar-nominated short film from acclaimed Italian director Alice Rohrwacher. Check out our list of recommendations below – and also make sure to take a look at our lists for Netflix Christmas films and Prime Video Christmas films too. Home Alone More than 30 years on from the film's release, Macaulay Culkin's turn as Kevin McAllister remains one of the most revered child performances of all time. As you'll no doubt be aware, the film sees 8-year-old Kevin – who has inadvertently been left behind when his family go off on holiday – laying all manner of violent booby traps in a bid to stave off the threat of two opportunistic burglars (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern) on Christmas Eve. The film has spawned a number of sequels over the years, which are also all available to view on Disney Plus, although in our opinion only the most immediate of those follow-ups, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, is especially worth your time. Die Hard While not everyone considers this classic 1988 action flick to be a Christmas movie – it had its original release in July, after all – it's undoubtedly become a seasonal staple for millions of film fans around the world, thanks to its Christmas Eve setting, festive soundtrack and perhaps the best use of Ho Ho Ho ever seen on film. Of course, the film stars Bruce Willis as John McClane, a New York detective who unexpectedly finds himself up against an army of terrorists while visiting his wife's Christmas Eve party in an LA skyscraper. Willis's central performance – which includes a string of memorable lines – has gone down in action movie history, while few villains are more iconic than Alan Rickman's Hans Gruber. The Muppet Christmas Carol There have been countless adaptations of Charles Dickens's classic Yuletide yarn over the years, and yet few of them can boast anything like the fandom of this delightful version starring The Muppets. Narrated by Gonzo (as Dickens himself) and Rizzo the Rat, it finds key roles for the majority of the beloved characters, while Michael Caine is on superb form as Ebenezer Scrooge – playing it completely straight against his non-human co-stars. This fresh, brilliantly chaotic take on the iconic tale coupled with an assortment of terrific original songs – including Thankful Heart and It Feels Like Christmas – make this perhaps the definitive film version of the novella, a movie that can't fail to put you in a great festive mood. A Christmas Carol If the Muppets aren't for you (what is wrong with you??), then you might be more at home with this 2009 adaptation of the tale. Directed by Robert Zemeckis and originally designed to be watched in 3D, it saw the filmmaker use the same motion-capture animation techniques he'd used in his earlier Christmas film Polar Express – which gives the film a rather unique visual style. Jim Carrey stars in multiple roles as Ebenezer Scrooge and all three of the visiting spirits, while there are also key roles for Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Bob Hoskins and Robin Wright, among others. How much it works for you will largely depend on how keen you are on the technology used, but the story itself is performed well and told faithfully. The Nightmare Before Christmas Is Tim Burton and Henry Selick's macabre animated feature a Christmas film or a Halloween one? That's a question thats invariably asked every year, and perhaps the most appropriate answer is that it's actually both at once. The stop-motion musical fantasy tells of Jack Skellington, the disillusioned Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, who one day stumbles upon a portal to Christmas Town and becomes devoted to bringing Yuletide to his own home, even kidnapping Santa Claus (or Sandy Claws). Although it leans into its Halloweeny themes, there are more than enough Christmassy images and ideas to qualify it for a festive watch. Mickey's Once Upon A Christmas This animated anthology starring Mickey and his pals was released straight to video back in 1999 and is a great option for younger viewers looking for a bit of festive fun, It consists of three short films – Donald Duck: Stuck on Christmas, A Very Goofy Christmas and Mickey and Minnie's Gift of the Magi – and if that's not enough for you, you can find a further five stories in the 2004 follow-up Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas. The Santa Clause This Christmas comedy from 1994 sees Tim Allen – in his first leading film role – playing a divorced and somewhat curmudgeonly father who finds himself unexpectedly landing a gig as the next Santa Claus after he inadvertently kills the previous Saint Nick. Although initially startled at the prospect, he slowly grows into his new role and rediscovers a Christmas spirt that he'd long been missing. It was followed by two sequels – The Santa Clause 2 and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause – in 2002 and 2006, which are also both streaming on Disney Plus. How the Grinch Stole Christmas After Scrooge, there's no doubting the second most famous Christmas-hater – Dr Seuss's infamous green creation The Grinch. Although there was a more recent animated movie adaptation in 2018, this 2000 film starring Jim Carrey is undoubtedly the definitive movie version. It follows the infamous grouch as he does his worst to ruin the festive period for the Christmas-loving residents of Whoville, who he despises. However he is soon befriended by a 6-year-old local girl named Cindy Lou (Taylor Momsen ) who tries to get him to change course. Miracle on 34th Street Another classic Christmas story, there are actually two versions of this film available on Disney Plus. The 1947 original stars Edmund Gwenn as Kris Kringle, with Richard Attenborough playing the same role in the popular 1994 remake – which also features Matilda child star Mara Wilson. Both films are set in New York City and see Kris Kringle – who had been working as a department store Santa – put on trial due after doubts are raised as to whether he could possibly be the real Santa Claus, much to the distress of the young girl he has befriended. Noelle This 2019 Disney Plus original stars Anna Kendrick as Santa Claus's daughter Noelle, who is forced to take over the family business when her father decides that the time has come to retire and her older brother goes mysteriously missing. The starry supporting cast also includes Bill Hader, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Billy Eichner, Julie Hagerty and Shirley MacLaine. The Family Stone The late Diane Keaton leads an ensemble cast that also includes the likes of Sarah Jessica Parker, Claire Danes, Rachel McAdams and more. The film follows Parker's Meredith, who has grown up with conservative values, discovering that she's a bit of a misfit at her boyfriend's family's Christmas celebrations. While their relationship seems to be going swimmingly when in the city, when they visit family in a small New England town, that's when things start to go awry. Le pupille This Oscar-nominated Italian short film from La Chimera director Alice Rohrwacher is an under-the-radar gem in Disney Plus's Christmas library – and is well worth a watch if you're after something a little different from the usual festive fare. Set at Christmastime during the Second World War, it follows Serafina, a young outcast at a strict Catholic orphanage who is always getting in trouble, and is soon excited by the delivery of a large cake. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Doctor Who favourite Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe spill on Strictly journey and finale return
From first steps to standing ovations: Alex Kingston and Johannes Radebe reflect on dancing, friendship, and their post-Strictly Christmas plans.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. At 62, actor Alex Kingston is only three years younger than the mother of her Strictly Come Dancing partner, 38-year-old professional Johannes Radebe. But in this partnership, she was the one learning from him. Over the past few months, they went from tentative first steps to earning standing ovations. And now, despite their Strictly journey ending, they vow they’ll stay on the dance floor one way or another… Alex, what was it like learning from someone younger? ALEX: Oh my gosh, I can’t imagine anyone else being my dance partner. The problem is, now my Strictly journey has come to an end, I will have to carry on dancing and I don’t know who will ever come close to Johannes. JOHANNES: Oh my goodness, we’ll have to book some lessons. I’ve always said that partnerships are special because they grow, and that I always teach like a marriage – even though I have never been married. ALEX: And I’ve been married three times! Did you have a mentor or someone you looked up to earlier in your careers? JOHANNES: As a boy, there was an Australian dancer I watched from a distance from my township in South Africa. His name is Jason Gilkison. I modelled my career on his, and now I am in the same room as him – he’s the creative director of Strictly Come Dancing. It’s an honour to work with him. Nowadays, I go back home to South Africa and run workshops teaching kids to dance. That’s my way of giving back. ALEX: My English teacher saw that I wasn’t academic in the sciences, but she made sure I had an opportunity to begin acting, devising plays where I was the lead. Her name was Margaret Kirk. She’s no longer with us, but I’m forever thankful to her. Are you looking forward to the final, where every Strictly couple returns for a reunion? ALEX: Oh yes, one hundred per cent. Looking at the opening credits of Strictly, seeing all the contestants, you realise how few are left. The first week does seem a long time ago now. It will be really lovely to see all those smiling faces again. JOHANNES: Strictly plus Christmas feels like a warm hug. It’s so dark outside, it’s cold… I know that people are thankful it’s on telly. And finally, what are your post-Strictly Christmas plans? ALEX: We celebrate two Christmasses – the German Christmas on the 24th and the English Christmas on the 25th. I also participate in our village pub panto. This year, it’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. They asked me to be the mirror on the wall, so that if I was still busy with Strictly, I could just record a voiceover! JOHANNES:After two years of not being home for Christmas, I’m jumping on a flight. It’s summer back home. Normally there’s a big barbecue – the whole family’s in the yard, playing music and dancing. Sounds like heaven to me. The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Strictly Come Dancing continues on BBC One and iPlayer. Add Strictly Come Dancing to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Lord Alan Sugar dishes on Celebrity Apprentice and why he allowed Thomas Skinner to return for it
From Lapland tasks to childhood chestnuts, Lord Sugar reveals what makes a very Apprentice-style Christmas.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Merry Christmas, Sugar Claus! If you were Father Christmas, which public figures would you put on your naughty list? I would have to say no comment on this whatsoever, my friend. As you will know, the BBC has guidelines. I have to keep my big mouth shut and not make personal or political comments like that. In that case, can we assume the contestants in your Celebrity Apprentice Christmas specials went straight on the nice list? Nah! That’s the excitement of it. Most of the time, they’re schmoozed by everybody, told how marvellous they are. Then they get a gig where I’m telling them what a load of rubbish they are. They’re masochists, really. Still, it’s worth remembering they don’t get paid anything at all. They do it for charity and that is very, very commendable. What will you be making the brave contestants do in the two festive episodes? They’re going up to Lapland and meeting Father Christmas. There was snow and ice, as you can imagine, reindeers and sledges. The contestants were split into two teams and each team had to create a special Christmas biscuit. Then they came back to London and presented their biscuits to big supermarkets and the best biscuit won. The interesting thing is, for the first time ever, the products created in the programme are actually going on sale in the supermarkets. All the money is going to Children in Need. Does the show create its own celebrities now? Did you decide whether Thomas Skinner could come back as a “celebrity”? I’m not sure over the 20 years how many people who have appeared on my show have actually made a name for themselves. I can think of maybe three: Saira Khan did quite well, then Katie Hopkins, who everybody loves to hate, and Thomas Skinner, who ended up on Strictly. But I don’t have any input. I’m presented with these celebrities; the BBC seek these people out and find them. And it’s not easy, because you can imagine that some of them are working and can’t take four or five days off. I can dream and say, “Oh, I’d love Madonna, I’d love Adele, I’d love the ginger bloke with a guitar...” What’s his name? Ed Sheeran. So, it’s not a matter of you ringing up the Beeb and going, “Get me Piers Morgan”? Well, funny you should say that. He was in the very first Celebrity Apprentice and I fired him. I keep reminding Piers that I gave him his TV debut, but he says, “I was on TV before that.” But you know what an arrogant bloke he is. He’d never admit it. Did you enjoy Christmas when you were growing up in Hackney in the 1950s? Our family weren’t very religious Jews, so we semi-celebrated Christmas, but more the happy side of things. We put Christmas decorations up and all that stuff. As a kid, I’d look forward to getting a Christmas present. I remember when I was 10 or 11 getting a pair of metal roller skates with rubber wheels on them that you adjusted with a little spanner. Mum and Dad saved up and bought them for me and my sisters and brother. As I grew older, I didn’t dish out Christmas presents to people. We used to give the staff financial bonuses and things like that, not physical things. Where will you be spending Christmas this year? I’ve had Christmas away from England the last 40 years. I spend five to six months of the year in America, so I’ll be here in Florida. My family also have homes here, so we’ll all be together. The grandkids as well, though they’re not kids any more. We’ll have a big traditional at-home British Christmas lunch with turkey and things like that. Won’t you miss cold, rainy old Hackney? No. Will you be having any special Christmas treats? My wife went to the supermarket today and bought my favourite thing – chestnuts. It’s the time for them, isn’t it, Christmas? I remember the vendors on Oxford Street when I was a boy, those black ovens with coal underneath and the chestnuts sitting on the top. You’d buy a white paper bag full of them off the bloke for sixpence. The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. The Celebrity Apprentice is coming to BBC One and iPlayer this Christmas. Add The Celebrity Apprentice to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
David Suchet reveals why Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol remains so prescient – and what he'd say to Agatha Christie
As he voices a new Dickens podcast, David Suchet reflects on timeless storytelling and the hope Christmas brings.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Nothing brings us together like a festive ghost story and, since its publication in 1843, Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol has never been out of print. It is the seasonal chiller. Sir David Suchet is delighted to be narrating it, alongside some of the author’s lesser-known tales, for a new podcast series. “These aren’t merely creepy stories — they’re ghostly reflections of the human soul.” We know about your devotion to Agatha Christie, but how well do you know Dickens? I don’t claim to be a Dickens expert, but he has always held up for me as the master of the English language. Reading these ghost stories has just been one of the most enjoyable and exciting pieces of audio work I’ve done. I’ve been blown away by how he writes. He’s very theatrical. Why do you think Dickens remains so prescient? I would say the same thing about Shakespeare and, if I’m allowed to, Agatha Christie. They all write about the human condition: love, jealousy, greed, hate, envy, crimes. They talk about poverty and society. They have managed to write about various aspects of our lives as human beings and make them into dramatic tales. That’s why they will never date. Why do you think that we enjoy being scared at Christmas? Well, if you go back to when you were a little child and somebody scared you, what was the first thing you did? You screamed and giggled. We love mystery, we love being scared. I mean, look at Doctor Who! We love to be taken outside of ourselves into realms that we don’t quite understand, and being a little bit frightened can be very enjoyable. Is A Christmas Carol the ultimate seasonal ghost story? A Christmas Carol is a work of genius. It’s just got everything. Not only the most extraordinary characters, but Scrooge himself going through that redemption... It’s what Christmas is all about, which is generosity, kindness, family if you have one, friends if you haven’t. Being social, being warm to each other. Ultimately, that’s the world that Ebenezer Scrooge enters and enjoys for the rest of his life. It’s a wonderful story. Would you like to meet Agatha Christie as your ghost of Christmas past? Agatha Christie has been very important in my life, because I never met her and I’ve always wanted to. At the same time, I’ve always wanted not to meet her because she was famously not pleased with any of her Poirots. I’ve often been asked what I would say to her if I met her. I might ask, “How do you think I did?” But I’m not sure whether I’d have the courage. What is a Suchet Christmas like? Our Christmasses have changed over the years. But our great tradition is that I always read the poem The Night before Christmas to the family. When I was filming once in America, I recorded it for my family in England. Wherever I am, down the phone, on Zoom or in person, if it’s possible, I will still do The Night before Christmas. I think I did it from Australia once. Our world today can be a little unkind – does Christmas shine a light of hope? Yes, I think that’s right. When the lights are put up at Christmas, you’re not aware of this heavy, heavy winter blackness. You can walk through London into the early hours and it’s gloriously lit up. I think it makes people feel good. I always feel more nervous when everything comes to an end, when everything is taken down, and people feel lonely again and bereft of this spirit of Christmas. It’s a time to share with family or friends, wherever you are. That’s what Christmas is about. Charles Dickens' Ghost Stories narrated by Sir David Suchet is released weekly on all streaming platforms and Noiser. The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Check out more of our Audio coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Daniel Craig reveals love of Strictly Come Dancing and why he's hoping to leave Narnia before Christmas
Craig was speaking in the 2025 Christmas issue of Radio Times magazine.
While some Knives Out fans will have seen the latest film in the murder mystery franchise starring Daniel Craig, Wake Up Dead Man will be available for many more to watch when it arrives on Netflix this week. That no doubt means that plenty of viewers will be watching the movie over the Christmas period – but it turns out that Craig himself will be sitting down to watch something else on 25th December. Speaking in a wider conversation for the Christmas issue of Radio Times magazine, which is out now, Craig said he likes nothing better than "watching Strictly [Come Dancing] with the kids – it’s a joy". On celebrating Christmas with his family, Craig clarified that it's "not in a religious way, but celebrating the fact that it’s a family get-together". He continued: "Much in a way like the Americans have Thanksgiving, Christmas is an English kind of thanksgiving. And saying thanks for having family is really what it’s about." Craig is currently filming Greta Gerwig's version of The Magician’s Nephew, the CS Lewis Narnia novel, in which he played the eponymous magician, Uncle Andrew. His Strictly watching and festive celebrations therefore depend on his scheduling for that film, but he said that he is "hoping to get out of Narnia in time for Christmas". On taking on new roles stretching himself far away from James Bond, such as Knives Out's Benoit Blanc or The Magician's Nephew's Andrew, Craig said: "I suppose I started freeing myself up from any convention. I’m not saying no to things that I might have been a little bit wary about before. "When the Bond thing was going on in my life, the juxtaposition between that and another role would sometimes feel self-conscious. I’m working harder than I ever have, but I’m also just enjoying it more than I ever have. I get to do really interesting, different stuff." In Wake Up Dead Man, Benoit Blanc takes on his most dangerous case yet, when investigating the seemingly impossible murder of a priest. The Christmas issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is out now in cinemas. It will arrive on Netflix on 12th December. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Hollyoaks Christmas and New Year spoilers: Your day-by-day guide as huge secret rocks the Hutchinsons
Everything happening in Hollyoaks this Christmas time.
Hollyoaks is dishing up not one but four separate Christmas Days, as the special occasion is stretched out across two weeks. We'll see the same day from the perspective of the Osbornes and the Hutchinsons, the McQueens, the Maaliks and the Lomax-Hays. Jack Osborne (Jimmy McKenna) is planning a big surprise, Mercedes McQueen (Jennifer Metcalfe) is struggling with withdrawal, and Donny Clark (Louis Emerick) is hiding a huge secret. Here's a look at everything happening on Hollyoaks between Monday 22nd and Tuesday 30th December. If you can't wait to watch the full two weeks as they play out on E4, every episode will be dropping on Channel 4's streaming service on 22nd December. Hollyoaks episode guide for Christmas and New Year Monday 22nd December <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2025/12/6661-CHRISTMAS-AT-THE-OSBORNES-Jack-Pearl-Darren-Nancy-Charlie-Oscar-Frankie-EMBARGOED-UNTIL-9TH-DECEMBER-LIMEPICTURES-9-456fa40.jpg" width="6000" height="4000" alt="Hollyoaks's Jack, Nancy, Charlie, Jack, Pearl and Frankie pose beside their Christmas tree in festive jumpers. Nancy is wearing a Santa hat." title="6661 CHRISTMAS AT THE OSBORNES - Jack, Pearl, Darren, Nancy, Charlie, Oscar, Frankie - EMBARGOED UNTIL 9TH DECEMBER @LIMEPICTURES (9)" /> Jack has a secret mission on the Osbornes' big day, and wants to make it extra special for everyone. It's a hopeful time as Darren and Nancy put their problems aside, and after Pearl distributes presents throughout the village, she and Jack head to The Dog for a special moment. Upstairs, Dee Dee hides a gift as Diane struggles through the morning, her only blessing being that Tony is there to celebrate with them. Ant is continuing to cause trouble, and reluctantly sets the table. He discovers a burner phone and secretly pockets it. On the other side of the room, Eva decides to take a look at a present, a move which horrifies Dee Dee. A furious Ant bounds downstairs into the bar and disrupts Jack and Pearl, dropping a huge bombshell. Tuesday 23rd December <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2025/12/6660-CHRISTMAS-AT-THE-MCQUEENS-Theresa-Warren-Mercedes-Prince-John-Paul-Dodger-EMBARGOED-UNTIL-9TH-DECEMBER-LimePictures-1-83a41fa.jpg" width="5472" height="3648" alt="Warren, dressed as Santa, stands beside Mercedes. On the sofa in front of them are Prince, Theresa and John Paul, all wearing pyjamas in a decorated house for Christmas in Hollyoaks" title="6660 CHRISTMAS AT THE MCQUEENS - Theresa, Warren, Mercedes, Prince, John Paul, Dodger, - EMBARGOED UNTIL 9TH DECEMBER @LimePictures (1)" /> Over at the McQueen residence, the sparkle has faded for Mercedes. She's become dependent on prescription anxiety pills and can't face Christmas Day without them. Jack and Pearl show up with presents for everyone, swiftly followed by Warren dressed as Santa Claus. Merce realises that she'd forgotten to wear her matching elf costume. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2025/12/6660-CHRISTMAS-AT-THE-MCQUEENS-Theresa-Warren-Mercedes-Prince-John-Paul-Dodger-EMBARGOED-UNTIL-9TH-DECEMBER-LimePictures-3-6e9c505.jpg" width="5554" height="3703" alt="Dodger, Myra-Pocahontas, Mercedes and John Paul sit around a Christmas table in pyjamas and paper crowns in Hollyoaks" title="6660 CHRISTMAS AT THE MCQUEENS - Theresa, Warren, Mercedes, Prince, John Paul, Dodger, - EMBARGOED UNTIL 9TH DECEMBER @LimePictures (3)" /> Slipping out into the garden, she notices Gemma next door and asks her over the fence for more drugs. Meanwhile, inside, romance seems to be in the air as Theresa excitedly awaits Dodger's arrival. Monday 29th December <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2025/12/6661-CHRISTMAS-AT-THE-CLARKS-Misbah-Donny-Gemma-Dillon-Vicky-EMBARGOED-UNTIL-9TH-DECEMEBR-LimePictures-5-0a51465.jpg" width="5535" height="3690" alt="Dillon, Donny, Gemma, Misbah and Vicky pose around their sofa in Hollyoaks. Vicky is wearing a Santa hat and Gemma has tinsel in her hair, there are presents on the coffee table in front." title="6661 - CHRISTMAS AT THE CLARKS - Misbah, Donny, Gemma, Dillon, Vicky - EMBARGOED UNTIL 9TH DECEMEBR @LimePictures (5)" /> We head next door for Christmas at the Maaliks, and things are frosty between Misbah and Donny. He wants to make amends as it's his first festive period with both his daughters, but his phone is blowing up with messages from the sex worker he recently spent the night with. A knock at the door sends alarm bells ringing through his head, but luckily it's just Jack and Pearl with more gifts. Gemma knows that her dad is hiding something and tells him not to be unfaithful towards Misbah again. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2025/12/6661-CHRISTMAS-AT-THE-CLARKS-Misbah-Donny-Gemma-Dillon-Vicky-EMBARGOED-UNTIL-9TH-DECEMEBR-LimePictures-6-a7f5e1e.jpg" width="6000" height="4000" alt="Donny kisses Misbah as they unwrap presents in Hollyoaks" title="6661 - CHRISTMAS AT THE CLARKS - Misbah, Donny, Gemma, Dillon, Vicky - EMBARGOED UNTIL 9TH DECEMEBR @LimePictures (6)" /> However, Donny's fears are realised when the sex worker arrives on the doorstep demanding her cash. Will he be able to get rid of her? Over at Basswood Road, Sully has decided to join the Osbornes. Frankie tells Dodger, and is instructed to record the conversation in the hope of finding out that he put a hit out on JJ. Tuesday 30th December <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2025/12/6662-CHRISTMAS-AT-THE-LOMAXES-Leela-Lucas-Daniel-Leela-EMBARGOED-UNTIL-9TH-DECEMBER-LimePictures-3-c7ef248.jpg" width="5472" height="3648" alt="Daniel hands Ste a present as Lucas and Leela pose for the camera around their Christmas tree in Hollyoaks" title="6662 CHRISTMAS AT THE LOMAXES - Leela, Lucas, Daniel, Leela - EMBARGOED UNTIL 9TH DECEMBER @LimePictures (3)" /> Leela is preparing to make a special Christmas for Clara, Lucas and Daniel, however hard that may be. She speaks out loud to late daughter Peri, wishing she was there to join them. A downtrodden Ste is spending the day alone in his flat, while Rex is all alone at The Loft. Lucas tells his aunt to stop blaming Ste for what happened, but she's not convinced he needs a second chance. However, later, she has a change of heart and invites him to join them. In the hope of reconnecting with Dillon, Lucas fires him a message. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2025/12/6661-CHRISTMAS-AT-THE-OSBORNES-Jack-Pearl-Darren-Nancy-Charlie-Oscar-Frankie-EMBARGOED-UNTIL-9TH-DECEMBER-LIMEPICTURES-11-3edaf5c.jpg" width="6000" height="4000" alt="Jack, wearing a red blazer, stands beside Pearl, who is wearing a green and red dress, beside the Christmas tree in the Osborne living room in Hollyoaks" title="6661 CHRISTMAS AT THE OSBORNES - Jack, Pearl, Darren, Nancy, Charlie, Oscar, Frankie - EMBARGOED UNTIL 9TH DECEMBER @LIMEPICTURES (11)" /> Meanwhile, Darren asks Jack why he hasn't proposed to Pearl yet, and he explains that he thought it might be a bad idea to propose on Christmas Day. Read more: Hollyoaks 2025 winter preview: Major death revealed as Diane Hutchinson and Gemma Johnson plot to bring down Mercedes McQueen Hollyoaks to air new issue-based storyline for Cleo McQueen after traumatic childbirth Louis Emerick on his Hollyoaks future after Brookside crossover twist Hollyoaks is available to watch on catch-up on Channel 4. Visit our dedicated Soaps page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Coronation Street Christmas and New Year spoilers: Your day-by-day guide with wedding drama for Debbie Webster
Everything you need to know from Coronation Street this Christmas time.
A Coronation Street wedding seldom goes smoothly, and Debbie Webster's (Sue Devaney) big day is no exception. Following his mum's death, Carl (Jonathan Howard) prepares to flee with his sister's hard-earned cash, but partner Abi (Sally Carman-Duttine) is hot on his heels. Prior to that, Christmas is particularly eventful for the Driscoll clan as Maggie (Pauline McLynn) threatens to expose Eva Price's (Catherine Tyldesley) secrets. Evelyn Plummer (Maureen Lipman) makes a horrific discovery in the ginnel, and Becky Swain (Amy Cudden) devises a malicious plan. Here's everything we know that's happening between Monday 22nd December and Friday 2nd January. Coronation Street episode guide for Christmas and New Year Monday 22nd December – Hour-long episode at 8pm As Carl transfers money from Debbie's account to his own, she ignores another text from his mum Elaine. Ronnie reveals that her friends have organised a hen party, but she's less than enthused and has to put on a brave face. He heads off on his stag do, and reveals to the lads that he's got an appointment with a solicitor to get power of attorney over Debbie's finances. Carl masks his frustration and later, after receiving a troubling phone call, Abi rushes after him. Meanwhile, sparked by Susie's desire to have a baby sibling, Ben proposes the idea of having a child to Eva and she's rattled. Maggie's interest is piqued when Carl tells Maggie that he found Eva's credit card in one of the Chariot Square rooms. Luckily, Ben rushes to her defence and explains that Will had taken his girlfriend there and had used the card to pay for the suite. Eva is tearful and heads out to the beer garden, where Adam offers a shoulder to cry on. She hates herself for lying to Ben, and he reassures her that she had no choice. What are the pair hiding? Elsewhere, Lisa receives a text from Carla saying that she wants to be removed from No. 6's mortgage, before looking at a photo on her socials that she's posted of her sipping a cocktail. Costello's condition is improving, much to Becky's annoyance, and makes her way to the hospital as he's being escorted to a rehab clinic. She flashes Lisa's police badge at the porter, asserting that she'll take him from there. Plus, Shona and David attend an antenatal class – and he manages to offend the teacher, while Asha meets her supervisor. Christmas Eve, Wednesday 24th December – 30 -minute episode at 8.40pm Becky wants Lisa to put her drama to one side and enjoy Christmas, offering to massage the tension in her neck. When she begins to kiss her, how will Lisa respond? Luckily for the Swarla fans, Lisa seems committed to getting her relationship with Carla back on track and sends her a text to say how much she loves her. Across the road, Adam encourages Eva to write down her feelings in a letter to vent how upset she is. Alya walks in on them and he quickly thrusts a jewellery box into Eva's hand, saying that it's her Christmas present and he doesn't want her to see it. Maggie is intrigued, and rifles through Eva's handbag. She's disappointed to find it's a necklace engraved with Alya's name. However, just as she puts the gift back into the box, she finds the letter and decides to use it against Eva – inviting Adam and Alya for Christmas dinner. Meanwhile, Carl gets drunk and sends a text to James. He later explains that it was spurred on from some awful news, but James threatens to tell Abi. At the corner shop flat, Todd isn't looking forward to Christmas but is grateful to be back working with George. Theo says that he's invited everyone for the big day, but expects Todd to do all of the cooking. Sally takes a sad Brody, Joanie and Shanice to the prison gates to hold a banner up in front of a security camera for Lou in the hope that she'll see it. Shanice is overjoyed to pick up the phone and hear from her mum. Christmas Day, Thursday 25th December – Hour-long episode at 7.15pm When Daniel and Bertie arrive at the pub with a gift for Megan, Maggie insists that they stay for lunch – much to Will's fury. Alya is overjoyed with her gift from Adam and the suggestion that they move in together, while Eva realises that her letter is missing. He takes her by the hand in an attempt to reassure her, but Ben walks in and clocks their intimacy. Tensions rise around the dinner table, and matters only intensify when Maggie presents her son with a malicious Secret Santa gift. Over the road, Lisa is forced to put on a brave face when Becky kisses the back of her neck during the present opening. She's concerned when Roy texts to say that Carla never checked into her Lanzarote hotel. Meanwhile, Carl proposes some festive fun with James while Abi takes Alfie to visit Kevin. The men enjoy a morning of passion, unaware that she is trying to reach Carl to say that she's keen to get home. Elsewhere, George, Christina, Summer and Glenda head to the corner shop flat to have Christmas lunch with Todd and Theo. Things get off to a bad start when Summer gifts Todd some tickets to an Andrew Scott retrospective as she knows he's always fancied him, something which begins to enrage Theo. While a game of charades gets under way, Theo loses his temper and smashes a wine glass. Plus, David is saddened that a present from Gail has gone missing. Boxing Day, Friday 26th December – 30-minute episode at 7pm The events of Christmas Day take their toll on the residents, with Evelyn making a horrific discovery in the ginnel. She finds one local badly beaten, and left for dead. Elsewhere, Theo surprises Todd with a mini break, something he's delighted about. However, things turn sour when he realises that it clashes with the event that Summer booked for him. Monday 29th December – 30-minute episode at 8pm Kit is suspicious when Sarah says that Carla hasn't responded to any of her emails. He takes it upon himself to browse through her diary. At the Bistro, the residents are gathering for George and Glenda's joint party. Nick suggests to Todd that they go for a run together, but Theo isn't impressed when Sarah drops the bombshell that he was Todd's first crush. Theo offers to go and get a cake for the celebration, and Billy watches on, concerned, as he steers Todd towards the door for them to leave. At the cake shop, he berates Todd for flirting with Nick and then drives off without him. Meanwhile, Will encourages Ben to build bridges with Maggie, though suspects that his son has been put up to the act by his mum. Later, Maggie confesses that she was wrong to have a go at Eva. Tuesday 30th December – 30-minute episode at 8pm Becky’s desperation grows as she pushes on with her plan to flee to Spain with Lisa and Betsy. Meanwhile, with Theo trying his upmost to come between Todd and Billy, is his abuse about to be exposed? Maggie offers Eva a half-hearted apology, and the Driscolls wonder whether they can move forward. Elsewhere, Abi breaks down to Tracy, admitting that she's fearful that her relationship will end in heartbreak. Following his decision to skip his physio session, Evelyn wonders whether Tyrone's scared to try and walk. New Year's Eve, Wednesday 31st December – Hour-long episode at 8pm Kit asks Asha to dig around for information with her colleagues, hoping that Costello mentioned any particular words when brought into hospital. She reveals that he kept repeating three specific phrases – and Kit comes to the conclusion that it's a 'what three words' location reference. Meanwhile, Billy asks Alya about the domestic abuse that Yasmeen suffered when she was married to Geoff, and how to spot the signs. Todd joins him, George, Christina and Summer for drinks in the Rovers, clearly nervous about something. Elsewhere, Carl wants to say goodbye to mum Elaine at the chapel of rest and Ronnie offers to go with him after hearing that they struggled to bond when he was a child. When Carl explains that he finds it hard to love as an adult, Ronnie questions his commitment to Abi. Ryan is confused when an invoice is chased up at the hotel, and he soon realises that all of the Chariot Square passwords have been changed. Plus, Tyrone hobbles into the Rovers on his crutches for New Year's drinks to a round of applause, though Kevin sits alone with a gloomy look on his face. New Year's Day, Thursday 1st January – Hour-long episode at 8pm Kit visits Costello at hospital and explains that he found the empty flat, and knows that it belongs to him. When he leaves, Becky reveals herself and thanks Costello for not dropping her in it. Lisa explains that she's prepared to move to Spain with her family, but wants to tell Carla face-to-face. Becky decides it's time to speed up her operation, with horrifying consequences. Meanwhile, Todd worries when Billy and Summer suddenly drop by. Theo begins to quiz Billy about 'the parishioner' who is suffering domestic abuse, and it becomes apparent that his game could be up. When they leave, Todd falls victim to Theo's vile abuse again, when he blames his partner for causing him to lose his temper. Todd seizes the opportunity to rush out of the flat, later listening to a voicemail message from Theo saying that he can't bear to live without him. Debbie is touched when Sally organises a pre-wedding pamper party at No. 4. She tells her friends that she wishes Kevin would let go of his grudge towards Carl for her special day, and Sally decides to have a word with her ex-hubby. Fired up following their conversation, Kevin demands a word with Carl. Elsewhere, Shona suffers a twinge and struggles to breathe, with David taking her to the hospital. Friday 2nd January – Hour-long episode at 8pm Debbie is worried that her broken glasses are a bad omen on her wedding day. Bernie promises that she'll find something that will bring her some good luck, but when the guests filter into the venue, they're nowhere to be seen. The coach leaves for the ceremony and Asha tells Amy that she's stopped taking her antidepressants, while Tracy kicks off with Cassie for cosying up to her daughter. Prior to her arrival at the wedding, Abi finds a bag of cash in Carl's car. When they pull up to the hotel, she opens the boot and discovers the money has gone missing. She quickly reveals to Kevin that she thinks Carl is planning to do a runner. Luckily, Debbie eventually arrives and makes a grand entrance, well aware of some underlying tension between Kevin and Carl. She orders them to stop, but when Kev stands up to make his speech, will he ruin everything? Everyone sits down for dinner and Todd accidentally spills juice down his shirt. Theo tells him to go and rinse it, and Billy follows him to the toilets where he notices a series of bruises on his body. Meanwhile, before leaving the country, Lisa hands Sarah an envelope containing Carla's engagement ring. Becky tells her ex-wife that it's best they get rid of their phones for safety reasons, and that she'll buy them all new ones before they leave for the ferry. Read more: Coronation Street icon to return to soap this Christmas - a year on from emotional exit Coronation Street fan favourite pulls out of The Archers after landing major new TV role Coronation Street star Daon Broni reveals "massive risk" to Costello's family after Becky Swain threat Coronation Street icon Amanda Barrie believes creator Tony Warren would be "delighted" with soap's LGBTQ+ representation Visit our dedicated Coronation Street page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. Add Coronation Street to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
The Radio Times 2025 Christmas double issue is on sale now
Find what’s worth watching this Christmas with your ultimate 14-day guide to the best TV, streaming, film and radio.
The Radio Times 2025 Christmas issue is on sale now! It's the legendary Christmas edition of Radio Times. Whether you're a regular reader or have simply dropped in for the Christmas festivities, we are delighted you're here. After all, it never feels like Christmas until Radio Times is safely in your hands. This issue has been a long time in the making, but the real work has happened in the past few weeks when the office has been buzzing. It turns out that gathering, watching and listening to the very best of television, radio, streaming and films is an all-consuming business. A tough job, of course, but someone has to do it. We are especially proud of our cover. The idea was first discussed on 28 January at the Radio Times Covers Party. And what a cover it has turned into. The team at Aardman in Bristol have worked their magic once again, crafting a wonderful homage and a stop-motion film to accompany it. Reuniting Gromit with Shaun the Sheep for the first time in 30 years, when they appeared in A Close Shave, felt like the perfect way to mark the season. Cover: © ™ Aardman Animations LTD/Wallace & Gromit LTD Also, in a real coup, we got to talk to national treasure Dame Judi Dench (but don't tell her I've called her that). Hearing her describe her search for a family link to William Shakespeare has been a genuine privilege and I think you will find it a fascinating read. And now it's your turn. Fetch your highlighter pen, pour yourself a cup of something warming and settle in for one of the great Christmas pleasures - circle your favourite programmes and build the perfect festive viewing schedule. And if that's too analogue you can do it all on the brilliant Radio Times App. Please don't forget to share with us on social media anything that's on your mind during the Christmas period. You can follow @radiotimes on Instagram, X, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and Threads. From all of us at Radio Times, we wish you the merriest of Christmases and the happiest of new years! How to buy the Radio Times Christmas issue 2025 From Tuesday 9 December, you’ll be able to pick up a copy in the usual places and online with your favourite retailers: Asda, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose and TGJones. What's inside the Christmas double issue? Festive entertainment, all wrapped up – Two weeks of TV, film and radio listings (20 December 2025 – 2 January 2026). Editor's top picks – Our unmissable selection of what’s new to watch over Christmas, a glimpse at what the stars are streaming, plus a round-up of the best films and dramas of 2025. Big-name interviews - Interviews and festive features with Judi Dench, Kate Winslet and David Attenborough to name a few. Gromit and Shaun the Sheep reunite - Nick Park, director and creator of Wallace & Gromit, reveals behind-the-scenes secrets of this year's iconic Christmas cover. A star-studded wonderland - Iconic characters from your favourite shows as you've never seen them before... the Dons of Death in Paradise, Sister Monica Joan and Trixie from Call the Midwife and more! For the ad breaks (and between mince pies) - Christmas crosswords and The Big Picture Quiz with prizes to be won! It wouldn’t be Christmas without Radio Times - on sale nationwide on Tuesday 9 December 2025. Did you know you can now order a previous edition of Radio Times magazine with our new back issues service? Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what's on tonight. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Emmerdale Christmas and New Year spoilers: Your day-by-day guide as Robert Sugden vanishes
Everything you need to know from Emmerdale this Christmastime.
Emmerdale is once again dishing up a jam-packed Christmas and New Year, with Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller) and Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) being targeted by a mystery assailant. Car windscreens are smashed, trees are burnt, and Robert seemingly disappears amid the celebrations. But who is it? Elsewhere, Charity Dingle's (Emma Atkins) secret is on the brink of exposure, and Ray Walters (Joe Absolom) and Celia Daniels (Jaye Griffiths) prepare to flee. Here's everything happening in Emmerdale between Monday 22nd December and Friday 2nd January. Emmerdale episode guide for Christmas and New Year Monday 22nd December – 30-minute episode at 7.30pm Lydia makes a huge blunder by revealing about her and Sam's responsibility for Kim's accident. He's enraged, and heads over to Home Farm to try and patch things up with her, but is shocked to hear that she's cancelled her Christmas dinner order. All alone, she becomes increasingly more isolated. Having fallen and unable to move, she calls out for help. Lydia arrives and although Kim tries to dismiss her, she goes against her wishes and stays. Meanwhile, with Ray and Celia preparing to leave the village, Bear is concerned that he'll be left behind. Ray assures him that it won't happen, and can't shake the prospect of having to end his relationship with Laurel prematurely. Bear encourages him to seize the day and make the most of his happiness while he still can. Ray decides to organise a fake Christmas lunch for her, and while they chat, he dares to dream about spending a proper festive period together one day. Elsewhere, Ross is shocked to hear that Aaron and Robert are planning to bring Seb back into their lives. He's unsure whether he can see the youngster around the village every day and before long, battle lines are drawn. Aaron is furious to find that his windscreen has been smashed, and immediately assumes that it was Ross. However, little does he realise, the real culprit is lurking in the shadows... Plus, wedding bells could soon be ringing following a proposal, and Sarah and Jacob decide to host a gender renewal party. Tuesday 23rd December – 30-minute episode at 7pm Kim has no choice in Lydia's decision to stick beside her, while Jacob plans his party with Pollard. Robert and Aaron have no idea of a looming threat to their safety, as Aaron continues to pursue Ross for a number of incidents that are happening to them. A tree is set alight outside of Mill Cottage, but Ross has an alibi. Later, Robert discovers who is behind the attacks, but will he be able to stop them? Christmas Eve, Wednesday 24th December – 30-minute episode at 6.55pm Joe makes an attempt to reconcile with Kim, but she shuts him down and is left alone. Aaron and Robert are fearful for what might happen next. Christmas Day, Thursday 25th December – Hour-long episode at 6.15pm Christmas morning gets off to a good start as the villagers gather for mulled wine outside of The Woolpack. However, down the road, Aaron is confused by Robert's sudden need to head off, and alarm bells start to sound when he doesn't return home. At Home Farm, Kim is surrounded by photos of those she has lost over the years, and faces up to the prospect of spending the big day all alone. With Bear still unaccounted for, Paddy is upset to be without him at such an important time. Sadly, on Celia's farm, it's another bleak day for the forced workers as they continue their usual regime. Vanessa and Charity end up spending Christmas together. When Vanessa gets drunk, there are concerns what she might spill. That night, cuddled up with Mack, Charity has no idea of the looming threat. Elsewhere, at the graveyard, Claudette and Jimmy remember those villagers that have passed away. Boxing Day, Friday 26th December – Hour-long episode at 6.30pm Amid the threat to his family, Marlon feels deeply uneasy. Someone has a huge decision to make, but what is it, and who will it impact? Elsewhere, Jacob is not a happy man. Monday 29th December – 30-minute episode at 7.30pm A threat to someone's life casts a large shadow over the village, and Jai knows far too much for his own good. Will he expose everything, and get people into trouble? Meanwhile, April makes a shock discovery and wants to do all she can to help, and Charity makes matters worse for herself. Tuesday 30th December – 30-minute episode at 7.30pm April realises that she has nowhere left to turn and wants to make an escape plan. Will it pay off? The threat to life is imminent, as wedding plans are considered. New Year's Eve, Wednesday 31st December – 30-minute episode at 7.30pm Ray is ordered to complete a truly horrible job, with someone in the village unaware that their life is still very much at risk. As fireworks fill the skies over Hotten, it's a dramatic end to 2025. New Year's Day, Thursday 1st January – Hour-long episode at 7pm 2026 gets off to a sinister start, with a happy surprise triggering another level of danger. Off the back of his grisly task, Ray hopes that one day his dream of a happy life with Laurel could come true. Friday 2nd January - 30-minute episode at 7.30pm It's a big way to cap off the first week of the New Year, as there's a fight to the death and a secret explodes. Elsewhere, a truth is revealed... Read more: Emmerdale 2025 Christmas schedules confirmed by ITV - including extended festive episode Major Emmerdale character leaves after sword attack and holding three villagers hostage – but will they be back? Emmerdale airs huge twist as character 'returns from the dead' Emmerdale's Jaye Griffiths reveals future for Celia after shocking twist Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1. Stream on ITVX. Add Emmerdale to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guideto find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
EastEnders Christmas and New Year spoilers: Your day-by-day guide as Slater and Branning secrets implode
Everything you need to know from Albert Square this Christmastime.
It's the most wonderful time of the year – but not for the EastEnders. Two weeks of festive fun for us viewers will see secrets explode throughout several households, culminating in a large police presence swarming Albert Square. Both the Slaters and the Brannings have a particularly eventful time, while Nigel Bates's (Paul Bradley) cognitive health declines... and he is visited by ghosts of Christmas past. There's quite a lot to fit in, but luckily for you, we've got a handy day-by-day guide to what's happening in Walford. Here's everything happening in EastEnders between 22nd December 2024 and 1st January 2025. EastEnders Christmas and New Year episode guide Monday 22nd December - 30-minute episode at 7.30pm The residents gather to watch Nigel's festive film screening, but Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) and Julie Bates (Karen Henthorn) are more concerned about his declining health and need for alternative care options. When Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf) arrives at the community centre, Kat Moon (Jessie Wallace) makes it clear that she's not welcome, and Julie drops a huge clanger - Sam has been back in the country for months, but has only just turned up in Walford. Led by director Lexi Pearce (Isabella Brown), Nige takes to the stage to make a speech to his audience, with Julie by his side. He notices the bruise on her face, and after realising he was responsible, flees the building. Phil and Julie start a desperate search to track him down, unaware that he's overheard their disagreement and has rushed off to The Vic. Meanwhile, a secret has been exposed, and Max Branning (Jake Wood) turns to Lauren Beale (Jacqueline Jossa) and Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) for some damage control. They vow to support him, and are under the belief that they've managed to talk him out of making an irrational decision. Little do they realise, he's also used Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan) as a shoulder to cry on and may come to regret what follows next... Elsewhere, the Truemans are suspicious of Dr Anthony Trueman (Nicholas Bailey), and Zack Hudson (James Farrar) is forced to mask his frustration during an awkward encounter between Vicki Fowler (Alice Haig) and Ross Marshall (Alex Walkinshaw) - he's asked to move back into No. 43. Tuesday 23rd December - 30-minute episode at 7.30pm In a special episode, Nigel becomes confused with memories of Christmas past and during his intense state of confusion, imagines that Pat Evans (Pam St Clement) and Barry Evans (Shaun Williamson) are celebrating in the pub. Next door, the residents are still watching the film screening and are unaware of the drama unfolding. Phil puts an end to the enjoyment and orders everyone to leave, but when he's left alone with the footage playing in front of him, he has a realisation. Nige is soon found by Phil and Julie, who have come to the realisation that they need more help with his care. The pair prepare to tell him the truth. Christmas Eve, Wednesday 24th December - 30-minute episode at 6.55pm As Yolande Trueman (Angela Wynter) prepares for her carol service, Patrick Trueman (Rudolph Walker) and Chelsea Fox (Zaraah Abrahams) try and boost Anthony's mood on his first Christmas away from his wife and children. It soon becomes apparent that he's in no mood to celebrate. Across the Square, the Slaters can see that Zoe is in a similar mood, having put her stalking ordeal on the back burner over the last week. Kat has her suspicions and points the finger at Sam. Sam drops a bombshell, revealing that she has cancer and is actually there to seek support from Zack. Later, as the residents head to the carol concert, Zoe makes a shocking discovery at home. Meanwhile, Max is the name on everybody's lips, and he has a lot of olive branches to extend. He firstly attempts to win over Oscar, but is waylaid by Linda Carter (Kellie Bright). Having drowned his sorrows, Oscar Branning (Pierre Counihan-Moullier) makes a revelation to Max that could ruin everything. Elsewhere, Julie, Phil and Sam realise that Nigel has forgotten the previous day's events, which prompts the siblings to have a heart-to-heart about family. Finally, Barney Mitchell (Lewis Bridgeman) clocks that his biological father, Zack, has feelings for Vicki. Christmas Day, Thursday 25th December - Two 30-minute episodes at 7.45 and 9.45pm Kat is elated for her first Christmas with Zoe in two decades, but the feeling isn't reciprocated - she's on tenterhooks following yesterday's discovery. There's a big community dinner in The Vic, but it doesn't go smoothly as the Slaters end up arguing with another family, and a huge bombshell is dropped. Just as matters are resolved, another situation escalates, and Kat is forced to clear everyone out for Zoe's protection. Nobody can quite predict what is about to happen, with catastrophic consequences soon following for all involved. Meanwhile, Zack decides to feed the hungry punters at No. 31, while the Brannings and the Beales sit down for their turkey dinner at No. 45. Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) makes a return, which sets alarm bells ringing in ex-husband Ian's (Adam Woodyatt) and son Peter's (Thomas Law) ears. They must keep her away from Max - he did kill Steven Beale after all - but end up offending her in the process by telling her that she isn't welcome. Max can't quite shake what Oscar has told him, and more truths are soon exposed around the table. Boxing Day, Friday 26th December - 30-minute episode at 9.30pm Police descend on Albert Square as the residents witness the fallout of a particularly eventful yuletide. There are more questions than answers for those involved, and it's hard to see a way forward. Elsewhere, the Mitchells enjoy a drama-free day, with Nigel putting the preparations in place to make it one to remember. Monday 29th December - 30-minute episode at 7.30pm Things go from bad to worse for one family caught up in the shocking events of Christmas Day. The events of the big day continue to loom over everyone else, with the combined Beale-Branning clan attempting to put on a brave face for Lauren and Peter's sake at Jimmy's christening. There's one big issue - Cindy and Max still haven't come face-to-face, and the couple has to make the decision to revoke his invite to save any further drama at the church. However, when he presents his grandson with a thoughtful gift and is visibly upset at the thought of not attending the event, Lauren has a change of heart and tells him to come along. Cindy is furious and refuses to go if he's in attendance, but much to her relief, he's soon uninvited again after another bombshell from Jack. Max decides to ignore Lauren's warning and turns up at the ceremony. Elsewhere, Gina Knight (Francesca Henry) is elated to see that Harry Mitchell (Elijah Holloway) is home, but he breaks her heart by putting the pause on their relationship. However, Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara) is also back in the area - much to the delight of Davinder "Nugget" Gulati (Juhaim Rasul Choudhury), Priya (Sophie Khan Levy) and Avani Nandra-Hart (Aaliyah James). Soon, it becomes clear that they are all unaware that Harry is plotting revenge. Tuesday 30th December - 30-minute episode at 7.30pm For the family caught up in the Christmas Day drama, more secrets rise to the surface. A resident makes a decision to get involved and attempt to help, but it backfires, and more trouble emerges. At the church, Max and Cindy make a huge scene in front of everyone, ruining the day. Oscar tries to settle his dad down, but he'd rather go and hit the bottle at Harry's Barn. He meets another resident there, who tries to give some guidance, but Max snaps back and causes more upset. Nicola Mitchell (Laura Doddington) has watched on from afar and delivers some home truths about his behaviour. With his tail between his legs, a sorrowful Max wanders off into the night to try and fix things... Elsewhere, Kojo Asare (Dayo Koleosho) is over the moon to see Harry again and encourages him to try and forget about Ravi when he details his revenge plan. However, when Barney refuses to move back into No. 1 after moving in with Zack, Harry sees red and decides to confront Ravi. New Year's Eve, Wednesday 31st December - 30-minute episode at 7.30pm As the residents prepare to hear the chimes of Big Ben ring in 2026, Max asks Oscar to help him set up a secret meeting at The Vic with Lauren. She's furious with her dad for his actions, and even more so that he's roped her brother into his devious behaviour. At Harry's Barn, he vows to fight for his family, unaware of what's in store over the next year... Meanwhile, Phil and Julie begin to look for care homes for Nigel, while Billy (Perry Fenwick) and Honey Mitchell (Emma Barton) look after him. He thinks that Honey is Julie and starts to flirt, as a bemused Billy watches on. It's a fresh start for Harry as he starts work at The Arches again, despite his struggles, while Gina also has a new beginning when she moves in with Harry's ex, Penny Branning (Kitty Castledine). Phil decides to give Harry some tough advice, but he misconstrues his words and decides to seek revenge on Ravi after all. Nicola is alarmed when she sees her son attempting to jump him. New Year's Day, Thursday 1st January - 30-minute episode at 7.30pm We skyrocket exactly one year into the future to find out just what 2026 may hold for Max and those around him. The Brannings are embroiled in drama on New Year's Day 2027, but what has happened, and why? Read more: EastEnders 2025 Christmas schedule confirmed by BBC - including festive episode timings EastEnders reveals Anthony Trueman's disturbing secret as Zoe Slater falls into his trap in BBC iPlayer release EastEnders director reveals "eye-opening" experience crafting special Nigel Bates episode – and his incredible resilience to land the job EastEnders airs shock passion for Zoe Slater following intriguing tormenter twist in BBC iPlayer release EastEnders 2025 Christmas preview: Four major returns as Max Branning bombshells implode in a face-off with Cindy Beale Visit our dedicated EastEnders page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. Add EastEnders to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app– download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Soaps coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guideto find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Dame Joanna Lumley reveals her vegetarian Christmas plans: "Wouldn't it be lovely if we didn't kill things at Christmas?"
Two decades after Ella Enchanted, Dame Joanna Lumley and Lucy Punch reflect on festive traditions, family fun and their on-screen reunion.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Joanna Lumley and Lucy Punch first played mother and daughter in the 2004 film Ella Enchanted. Some 20 years later, Punch plays social climber Amanda with Lumley her scene-stealing mother Felicity, first in Motherland, and now in its spin-off Amandaland. While filming the festive special, the pair reflected on their reunion, Christmases past and present, and what gift they’d buy for each other… Lucy, what were your first impressions of Joanna? LUCY: In Ella Enchanted, we played a ghastly stepmother and stepsister to the heroine, then we were reunited for Motherland, which was lovely, and now this. All this time later, I’m a very different person, but I believe Joanna’s exactly the same: so smart and funny. She charms everyone. When you’re doing comedy, you need lots of good energy, and hers is infectious. Joanna, what have you learnt working with Lucy? JOANNA: I couldn’t admire Lucy more. I remember her playing my daughter, but I’m not sure they [the Motherland producers] even knew that. She’s blossomed in this. A lot of acting by many of us is interchangeable, but some people stand out, and Lucy’s always been slightly different. She brings something extra. What are your fondest memories of Christmas growing up? JOANNA: We were in hot countries so we never saw snow, but Mummy would get balls of cotton wool to put on the windows like snowflakes. We were out in the Malayan Mari when the Disney film of Alice in Wonderland came out. I was given an Alice doll, and it was as beautiful a thing as I’ve ever seen, with yellow hair and a hair band, a blue dress with a little white apron – thrilling. Isn’t it lovely what we remember visually? What gift would you buy each other for Christmas? LUCY: I’d buy something very little, discreet and lovely, maybe a teeny, tiny book. Joanna likes little things. JOANNA: Lucy lives in California and has two boys, so I think I’d get her something that money can’t buy – an experience of some kind… Going down the Thames on a boat with the boys, perhaps. Yes, an adventure! Any special present you’d each like to unwrap? JOANNA: We were filming a dinner scene at this beautiful table yesterday, and the props boy Harry had to light and then put out the candles between every take to preserve their height. And he had a mini flamethrower. I’ve never wanted anything so much in my life. That’s going on the list. LUCY: I’m just thinking about the mountain of gifts I’ve got to buy for my children [aged 10 and three]. So I really don’t want anything for myself. Give it forward, I say. That’s very Amanda, isn’t it? What will Christmas look like for you this year? JOANNA: I’m vegetarian so I love all the bits that go around the feast – roast potatoes, brussels sprouts with chestnuts, just not the centrepiece. Wouldn’t it be lovely if we didn’t kill things at Christmas and just for once celebrated birth and life? The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Amandaland is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Add Amandaland to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Comedy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
It's been more than 15 years since the popular kids film debuted.
It's been over 15 years since Nativity! arrived in UK cinemas – and began a franchise which would go on to include a further three films and a stage musical. Of course, each of the films has had a different star playing the main teacher – with Martin Freeman, David Tennant and Martin Clunes taking it in turns to appear in the first three movies – and there have been plenty of other recognisable faces to appear instead. Jason Watkins appeared in all of the first three films, while the first entry in the series also included the likes of Shetland star Ashley Jensen, legendary The Royle Family star Ricky Tomlinson and popular stand-up comedian Alan Carr. But of course, the real stars of the films were Marc Wootton as lovable but chaotic classroom assistant Desmond Poppy, and the children themselves. With that in mind, you might be wondering what has become of those young stars who appeared in the first film a decade and a half ago... did they continue to act? Read on for everything you need to know. Marc Wootton played Mr Poppy Before we move on to the kids themselves, lets start with Mr Poppy – a hugely popular presence in the film played by Marc Wootton. Although this series of films is arguably still what he's best known for, he's had a steady acting career, with credits including the first ever episode of Inside No. 9, the Take That inspired film Greatest Days and the Channel 4 sitcom High and Dry, which he also wrote and directed. Most recently, he had a key role in the Noel Fielding Apple TV+ series The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin, while in 2024 he played the role of Marek in a National Theatre production of Till the Stars Come Down. Earlier this year, he co-wrote, produced, and starred in short film The Art of the Lie, which you can watch here: ﻿ Jake Pratt played Alfie Alfie was one of the big stars of the nativity play in the film – playing Joseph – and was played by Jake Pratt, who was one of the few kids in the film who was already somewhat well known, having appeared in the first season of Britain's Got Talent in 2007 and reaching the semi-finals. He also starred on the West End in Billy Elliot the Musical, and has gone on to appear on a number of CBBC programmes, with his most recent screen credit seeing him voice various animals in the mockumentary The Zoo. Off-screen, he has appeared in pantomimes and other stage shows. Sydney Isitt-Ager played Sadie Another star who continued acting, Isitt-Ager played Sadie in the films – a child who was too nervous to take part in the nativity in the first movie. Just two years ago, after a role in the Nativity! stage musical, she had a small role in the Netflix Christmas film Christmas on Mistletoe farm, while she's recently been touring the UK with I Should Be So Lucky – The Musical. Ben Wilby played Bob Bob was a real fan favourite character and was played by Ben Wilby – who has picked up a couple of TV credits since on episodes of Father Brown in 2014 and Cuckoo in 2019. On his Instagram page – which is set to private – he still describes himself as an actor and he has trained at the Emil Dane Academy, but it's not clear what roles he might have had recently. Krista Hyatt played Becky Hyatt played Becky – who attended rival school Oakmoor – and was another cast member who had previously appeared on Britain's Got Talent, as part of the dance duo Cheeky Monkeys in season 2. Although she has no further acting credits to her name, she has amassed a decent following on TikTok, where she has over 18,000 followers. Maeve Dolan played Sam The character of Sam – whose finest moment was her rendition of Wheatus hit Teenage Dirtbag – was played by Maeve Dolan, who also appeared in the sequel. She had a role in a 2023 short film titled Nothing Happened and is currently studying at the London College of Music, where she has starred in several musicals. She also regularly posts on TikTok, where she has just over 4,000 followers. Bernard Mensah played TJ The role of TJ – Angel Gabriel himself – was played by Bernard Mensah, who went on to play the role of Young Simba in the West End production of The Lion King. Although he attended acting school, it's not clear what he's up to now. Tom McGarrity played Zack Zack was responsible for a memorable performance during the nativity auditions in the film and was played by Tom McGarrity, who now works as a performer on cruise ships. Last year, he announced on Instagram that he had a new role as a Cruise Director and that he was "still sailing and entertaining". Cadi Mullane played Crystal Crystal played a star in the nativity and was portrayed in the film by Cadi Mullane – who has continued her career in the performing arts. She is a recent graduate of Royal Welsh Musical Theatre and is now looking to pursue acting work. Bessie Cursons played Christy Another cast member who had previous on Britain's Got Talent, Cursons also reached the final of the first series of the ITV talent show in 2007. She went on to pick up a few other stage and screen credits – most recently a 2016 episode of Casualty – while she is also qualified as a dancing coach and offers classes through The Bessie Cursons Theatre & Dance Academy. Nativity! is currently streaming on Netflix – Sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Love Actually soundtrack: Every song featured in the Christmas classic
Ready to dance along to Jump with Hugh Grant and cry to Both Sides Now with Emma Thompson?
With Christmas Day very nearly upon us, you're probably rushing around working out what shows you're going to watch over the holiday period, planning your Christmas roast, and, of course, assembling your festive movie watchlist. Well, Christmas wouldn't be complete without a rewatch of Love Actually, would it? Penned by Richard Curtis - who last year turned his attention back to the festive season with Netflix film That Christmas - the festive classic follows eight different couples as they navigate their love lives in the countdown to Christmas, and boasts a brilliant soundtrack. The movie also features a star-studded cast, with the likes of Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Dame Emma Thompson, Keira Knightley and many more filling out the central roles. Asked whether he's surprised Love Actually has become a part of so many people's festive celebrations, Curtis told Radio Times last year: "I just consider that so lucky. We thought Love Actually was a disaster for months while we were trying to edit it. So, I always look back on it and think, 'I can’t believe we got away with it!'" Alongside a score from composer Craig Armstrong, the film also features a handful of pop songs. Wondering what they are? Read on for the full Love Actually soundtrack list and score. Love Actually score The full list of tracks in the movie composed by Armstrong are as follows: Opening Titles – Craig Armstrong Christmas Is All Around (Montage) – Craig Armstrong First Day – Craig Armstrong Natalie with Tea Trolley – Craig Armstrong In Love with Karl – Craig Armstrong Sam’s Bedroom – Craig Armstrong On the Bench – Craig Armstrong I’m in Love – Craig Armstrong Total Agony – Craig Armstrong Saucy Minx/Aurelia Arrives – Craig Armstrong Bad Policies – Craig Armstrong Discovery of Kiss/Press Conference – Craig Armstrong Croissants in France – Craig Armstrong The Lake Scene – Craig Armstrong Saddest Part of Day – Craig Armstrong Glasgow Love Theme – Craig Armstrong PM Redistributes Natalie – Craig Armstrong Jamie Leaves Aurelia – Craig Armstrong Sarah & Karl Go Wrong – Craig Armstrong Karen in Bed – Craig Armstrong Harry & Mia – Craig Armstrong Wrapping the Necklace – Craig Armstrong Natalie on the Stairs – Craig Armstrong Natalie at the School – Craig Armstrong Natalie Revealed/Karen Confronts Harry – Craig Armstrong Joanna Drives Off – Craig Armstrong Sam & Joanna – Craig Armstrong Portuguese Love Theme – Craig Armstrong Christmas Is All Around (Film Version) – Billy Mack Greenshoots – Craig Armstrong Restaurant Band – Craig Armstrong PM’s Love Theme – Craig Armstrong Christmas Is All Around (Soundtrack Version) – Billy Mack Love Actually soundtrack list: Every song featured in the Christmas classic There are actually two different versions of the soundtrack for Love Actually - one for the UK and one for the US. View oEmbed on the source website Love Actually UK soundtrack list The following songs feature in the UK version of the beloved Richard Curtis film: Jump - Girls Aloud Too Lost in You (Love Actually version) - Sugababes The Trouble With Love Is - Kelly Clarkson Here with Me - Dido Christmas Is All Around - Billy Mack (Bill Nighy) Turn Me On - Norah Jones Songbird - Eva Cassidy Sweetest Goodbye - Maroon 5 Wherever You Will Go - The Calling I'll See It Through - Texas Both Sides Now (2000 version) - Joni Mitchell White Christmas - Otis Redding Take Me as I Am - Wyclef Jean and Sharissa All I Want for Christmas Is You - Olivia Olson God Only Knows - The Beach Boys All You Need Is Love - Lynden David Hall Sometimes - Gabrielle Love Actually US soundtrack list The following songs feature in the US version: The Trouble with Love Is - Kelly Clarkson Here With Me - Dido Medley: Sweetest Goodbye/Sunday Morning - Maroon 5 Turn Me On - Norah Jones Take Me as I Am - Wyclef Jean and Sharissa Songbird - Eva Cassidy Wherever You Will Go - The Calling Jump (For My Love) - The Pointer Sisters Both Sides Now (2000 version) - Joni Mitchell All You Need Is Love - Lynden David Hall God Only Knows - The Beach Boys I'll See It Through - Texas Too Lost in You (Love Actually version) - Sugababes White Christmas - Otis Redding Christmas Is All Around - Billy Mack (Bill Nighy) All I Want for Christmas Is You - Olivia Olson The US version does not feature Gabrielle or Girls Aloud (swapping them out for The Pointer Sisters), and offers a different track for Maroon 5. Love Actually is airing several times this festive season, including a prime time spot on Christmas Eve. It's also available to watch on Netflix, Sky Cinema, and NOW. If you're looking for something to watch tonight, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide or visit our Film hub for all the latest news. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
The Holiday soundtrack: All the songs featured in the Christmas romcom
The film has an original score by Hans Zimmer, a handful of Christmas classics and hits by everyone from The Killers to The Spinners.
With Christmas fast approaching, it's time to start assembling your Christmas movie watchlist, and from It's a Wonderful Life to Elf, The Muppet Christmas Carol to Love Actually, there are plenty of festive classics to consider. It's hard to believe that another popular festive flick is nearly 20 years old. 2006 rom-com The Holiday was written, produced and directed by Nancy Meyers and stars Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law and Jack Black. The movie revolves around two singletons who embark on a house-swapping adventure over the festive season, with Winslet's Iris travelling to LA and Diaz's Amanda travelling to Surrey. Naturally, romance ensues, and the action is accompanied by a brilliant soundtrack, which features a number of festive bangers like Wham's Last Christmas and Kylie's Santa Baby. <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DHYBMPP7/ref=sr_1_1?crid=IVZOVKMH2BHB&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.FsirP0VdEiV3dRMnEBZlgKB9jnUeZv_-ZB-tI3lhwdSLHz9yrrV_5BhFg-b_0Gg7h-mL2pAzYMoQX2aPZXDe67gNX9CxYetRqtQ8xIyny77ZCyez7S1JldFNJvVcBm-6l4Mzw2UQcOf8rXSThYJYKkxnCoDdozutulcGgBI_serBLojMTAaxv6UJ3TJsmLwbSnoMnB_dE1YgdketR1hUW-h1rzicTC6sbYSEGS1XbAU.-5z3gR3N2nMkZzLCyjeZDQ0RzAVgR3OVAtXaUsDBTs8&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+holiday+soundtrack&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1733494493&sprefix=the+holiday+sound%2Caps%2C89&sr=8-1&tag=radtim0b-21&ascsubtag=radiotimes-1939816" rel="sponsored" target="_blank">Listen to The Holiday (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) here But which other songs are featured in the movie? From Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas to Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree, read on for a full list. The Holiday score: Who composed the music for the film? As well as a number of bangers, the film also includes an original score by Hans Zimmer. View Affiliate Playlist on the source website You can find the titles of all the tracks below: Maestro Iris And Jasper Kayak For One Zero Dream Kitchen Separate Vacations Anything Can Happen Light My Fire Definitely Unexpected If I Wanted To Call You Roadside Rhapsody Busy Guy For Nancy It's Complicated Kiss Goodbye Verso E Prosa Meu Passado The 'Cowch' Three Musketeers Christmas Surprise Gumption Cry The Holiday soundtrack: Full list of songs in the film The following pieces of music are all featured in The Holiday. Winter Wonderland performed by Darlene Love Last Christmas performed by Wham! It May Be Winter Outside (But in My Heart It's Spring) performed by Love Unlimited Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree performed by Brenda Lee Mr Brightside performed by The Killers It's a Shame performed by The Spinners Are You Gonna Be My Girl performed by Jet Let Go performed by Frou Frou Christmas Waltz performed by Eddie Higgins Trio Mrs Robinson performed by Simon and Garfunkel Got to Be Real performed by Cheryl Lynn Sha-La-La (Make Me Happy) performed by Al Green Santa Baby performed by Kylie Minogue Chariots of Fire by Vangelis, performed by Jack Black Theme from Jaws by John Williams, performed by Jack Black Driving Miss Daisy by Hans Zimmer, performed by Jack Black Raider's March by John Williams, performed by Jack Black Just for Now performed by Imogen Heap You Send Me performed by Aretha Franklin Projection for Two by Ennio Morricone and Andrea Morricone Toto And Alfredo by Ennio Morricone and Andrea Morricone Flight of the Foo Birds performed by Count Basie and His Orchestra Wade in the Water performed by Ramsey Lewis Trio Tara Theme performed by Max Steiner Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas performed by James Taylor Moon Glow performed by Claude Bolling Big Band and Stéphane Grappelli The Holiday (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is available to listen to here. The Holiday is currently streaming on both Netflix and Prime Video. If you're looking for something to watch tonight, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide or visit our Film hub for all the latest news. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Nativity! soundtrack: Full list of songs in the film
The Martin Freeman-starring musical comedy Nativity! is available to watch on Netflix.
Last year marked 15 years since the Martin Freeman-starring musical comedy Nativity! first landed on our screens and charmed fans with its lovable performances, hilarious storyline and catchy soundtrack – and now, the film is back on BBC iPlayer and Netflix for the holiday period. The movie, released in 2009, centres around the story of once-actor-now-primary-school-teacher Paul (Martin Freeman), who is tasked with producing the year’s nativity play, despite his disdain for Christmas. After lying to a rival primary school teacher (private school headmaster Gordon Shakespeare, played by Jason Watkins) that a Hollywood producer will be coming to watch the performance, things soon spiral out of control and Paul must find a way to resolve the mess. Alongside Freeman, Call the Midwife’s Pam Ferris, Shetland’s Ashley Jensen and Alan Carr also star in the cast of the movie. Speaking to the BBC last November about the film’s enduring popularity, writer and director Debbie Isitt said: "Because it’s on Netflix every Christmas and on the BBC a lot, it just seems to find a new audience." She added that the idea for the film came when she went to see her daughter's nativity, saying: "I thought, this could make a really good film, because the children were just hilarious." The first film was a huge success and went on to spawn three sequels, all written and directed by Isitt. "I love them all, but I think the original is probably always going to be close to my heart," she added. Wondering which songs feature in the film? Read on for everything you need to know about the soundtrack. Nativity soundtrack: Full list of songs in the film The full list of songs in the film is as follows: Hooray for Hollywood by Johnny Davis Santa Claus Is Coming to Town by The Jackson 5 I'm a Little Christmas Cracker by Diana Decker Maybe This Christmas by Ron Sexsmith Snow Day by Bleu I Want You Back by The Jackson 5 I Want You With Me at Christmas by Jesse Belvin Sleigh Ride by The Ronettes Silent Night by Hayley Westenra Nazareth by Various Artists Good News Song by Various Artists Sparkle and Shine by Various Artists She's the Brightest Star by Various Artists One Look by Various Artists One Night One Moment by Various Artists One Night One Moment by Hayley Westenra Read more: Best Christmas TV for 2025 – your guide to what's worth watching Best Christmas movies on Netflix UK in 2025 – from Love Actually to The Holdovers Nativity! is currently streaming on Netflix – Sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
How to watch Elf online and on TV this Christmas 2025
It's good news if you have Sky or NOW...
Christmas and the wider festive period is all about traditions, and that doesn't just cover activities and food, it also covers entertainment, with film fans flocking to rewatch their favourite Yuletide classics. One of those which has consistently appeared high in any rankings of the best Christmas films of all time is, of course, Elf, the 2003 comedy starring Will Ferrell. The film, which also features James Caan and Zooey Deschanel, follows Buddy, a human who was raised alongside Santa’s elves in the North Pole after a mix-up one Christmas night. When he learns of his true identity, Buddy heads to New York to track down his biological father, Walter, but before doing so he is given a warning - Walter is on Santa's naughty list. Walter is less than impressed when his son arrives in the city, but can Buddy win him over with his heart-warming festive cheer, and help him embrace kindness in time for Christmas? Fans of the film celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2023, and the year before, in 2022, screenwriter David Berenbaum spoke exclusively to RadioTimes.com about the "rare and special" legacy of the festive favourite. He said of his own relationship to the film all these years later: "When it played in theatres out here for years, I would take my kids to go see it and that was fun to share with them. "And, you know, as we're decorating the tree, we'll sort of put it on and it's a great thing to have Buddy come back into your life every year, this time of year. It's really quite amazing." With the holidays just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to revisit the much-loved film – but how can you watch it, and is it available to stream? Here’s how you can watch the film on TV and on streaming platforms over the Christmas period. Is Elf on Netflix? Unfortunately, the acclaimed comedy won't be on Netflix this year, but you can stream Elf online if you have a Cinema pass on the NOW platform, or if you have Sky Cinema. Additionally, Elf is currently available to rent on Amazon from £3.49, or to purchase digitally from £5.99. Where to watch Elf Elf will get regular showings on Sky Cinema's various channels until Christmas Day, with airings planned almost every day between now and the big day. You can find out more about how to sign up to Sky Cinema now. Elf airs on Sky Cinema Select and Sky Cinema Select HD at 6:20pm on Tuesday 9th December, 3:05pm on Wednesday 10th December, 9:40pm on Friday 12th December, 4:35pm on Saturday 13th December, 11am and 8pm on Sunday 14th December, and 4:50pm on Monday 15th December. Basically: if you want to watch it, there are many chances to. It's also playing on Saturday 13th December at 8:05pm on Sky Showcase and Sky Showcase HD, and an hour later on Sky Showcase+1. Elf is also available to stream online for those with a NOW Cinema pass. A NOW Cinema Pass costs £9.99 a month. Can I watch Elf in cinemas in 2025? Yes, Elf will be playing in cinemas across the UK throughout December, so if you fancy seeing the film on the big screen, now's your chance. View Affiliate Playlist on the source website If you're looking for something to watch tonight, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide or visit our Film hub for all the latest news. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
When is Home Alone on TV? How to watch the Christmas movie online
Macaulay Culkin's Christmas classic will be available to stream over the festive period.
When it comes to Christmas movies, there are few which hold such a strong please in film fans' hearts as 1990's Home Alone. The festive family comedy film starring Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister remains the most cherished Christmas movies of all time – in fact, it came third in a 2023 RadioTimes.com poll, just behind The Muppet Christmas Carol and It's a Wonderful Life. The film sees eight-year-old Kevin accidentally left behind when his family go on holiday. He soon finds he has to defend the family home from two burglars, played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern. Boasting a brilliant soundtrack and spawning an extensive franchise, Home Alone remains an annual must-watch for many film fans when putting together their Christmas watch-list. Endlessly rewatchable, Macaulay Culkin even recently revealed what he'd want to do with a reboot of the franchise. But is the first film airing on TV this year, and how can fans in the UK stream it? Here’s everything you need to know. Home Alone: Where to watch the Christmas movie online in the UK As one of the greatest family films of all time, it is perhaps fitting that Home Alone (and its sequels) are streaming on Disney Plus this Christmas, along with the reboot, Home Sweet Home Alone, which is also available on the streaming platform. Sign up to Disney Plus for £4.99 a month or £79.90 for a year Home Alone (as well as its first two sequels) is also available to stream currently on Channel 4 until the end of the year, but it is not available on any other subscriber services such as Netflix or NOW TV. However, you can rent or buy the Christmas classic on <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Home-Alone-Macaulay-Culkin/dp/B0CBHY7VVP/ref=sr_1_1?crid=25ME1SU9Q3JN1&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.liWqUf5SsrQDWBQQw8Su9xNoUC3ZKlUTZXh3-eqNseh1ahKVVG1R_XIOmVXYm4IK_mlDzWl2T-kzOzRALijP6ZaG3YMi1IxSHdh1AMwrfsuC7AWYjDVwu8HiSUgVogyexbTbJYSNTI50KvAc6WgMHBWvrcuLaYrcvKA1M-Lzi1LdtpOEnUE1Vzkh5WERkAAv6B197hYDYJ4P7WlLHsTcjASUguzySddbcJTrCJLXGSs.fNIbk5BnPzTv2PpQc5LFSl2JKO7Gk69rWV2Denm2nhA&dib_tag=se&keywords=home+alone&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1733492088&s=instant-video&sprefix=home+alone%2Cinstant-video%2C152&sr=1-1&tag=radtim0b-21&ascsubtag=radiotimes-456853" target="_blank" rel="sponsored">Amazon Prime Video and Sky Store. When is Home Alone on TV this Christmas? Home Alone is more or less guaranteed at least one airing on terrestrial TV every Christmas – and this year, it's showing on Channel 4 at 5:30pm on Christmas Eve. Fans are in for an extra treat this year, as legendary sequel Home Alone 2: Lost in New York will also be showing on Christmas Day at 5:25pm on Channel 4. View Affiliate Playlist on the source website Is Home Alone in cinemas in 2025? Yes! Home Alone is returning to select cinemas across the UK throughout December. To see the Christmas classic on the silver screen, head to your local cinema and see if it's playing. Home Alone movies: How many films are there? Following on from the first movie (released in 1990), there was a 1992 sequel – Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, which saw Kevin... well, you can guess. Home Alone 3 followed in 1997, though this threequel focused on a new young protagonist – Alex Pruitt (Alex D Linz) – who must battle both the chickenpox and four burglars working for a North Korean terrorist group (yes, really). Though the Home Alone series hasn't returned to cinemas since, several movie spin-offs have followed – 2002's Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House saw a recast Kevin McCallister (Mike Weinberg) again up against Marv (with French Stewart replacing original actor Daniel Stern), while 2012's Home Alone: The Holiday Heist again focused on a new lead, with Christian Martyn playing 10-year-old Finn Baxter. In 2021, Jojo Rabbit star Archie Yates led the cast of Home Sweet Home Alone, a spin-off film for Disney Plus. He played Max Mercer, a boy who (you guessed it) gets left behind when his family head off on holiday to Japan, and eventually ends up embroiled in all sorts of dramas when a married couple mistakenly think he has stolen a valuable doll from their home. Home Alone house location: Where was Home Alone filmed? The exterior scenes for the McCallister house in the original Home Alone were filmed on location at 671 Lincoln Avenue in the North Shore village of Winnetka, Illinois. The house's main staircase, basement, attic and some of the first floor landing were also used for interior shots, while all other parts of Kevin's home were built on a sound stage to allow more space for crew and equipment. Home Alone is streaming on Disney Plus and Channel 4. If you're looking for something to watch tonight, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide or visit our Film hub for all the latest news. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
When is The Holiday on TV this Christmas? How to watch and stream online
The romcom starring Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz is a modern Christmas classic.
When it comes to Christmas romcoms, there is no shortage of great picks to choose from – however, Nancy Meyers’s The Holiday holds a special place in many people's hearts. The 2006 film – which stars Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet as singletons who swap houses over the festive season and enter into new, surprising romances – has become a modern Christmas classic, alongside Love Actually. There were reports in 2022 that the cast, including Jude Law and Jack Black, would be revisiting their characters' romances in a sequel, but Meyers was quick to shut these rumours down. While fans were no doubt disappointed, they still have the original which they can revisit year after year, as they work through their Christmas watch-lists also including the likes of The Muppet Christmas Carol, Elf and Home Alone. But will the film be on TV in Christmas 2025, and if so, when and where? Read on for your guide to how to watch The Holiday this December. Where to watch The Holiday in the UK If you're an Amazon Prime Video subscriber, you're in luck! The film is available to stream there (and you can also rent it from Prime Video for £2.99 or buy it for £2.99). If you prefer physical media, you might rather own the movie and have it take pride of place in your DVD or Blu-ray collection. View Affiliate Playlist on the source website Is The Holiday on TV this Christmas 2025? The Holiday usually makes it to our TV screens at Christmas, and this year is no different. The romcom is set to air on Sky Cinema Select and Sky Cinema Select HD on Monday 8th December at 9:50pm, Tuesday 9th December at 2:30pm, Saturday 13th December at 8pm, and Sunday 14th December at 12:40pm. Fans are in luck, as it's airing again on BBC Two at 8:30pm on Sunday 14th December and BBC Three at 8:35pm on Tuesday 16th December. Is The Holiday in cinemas this Christmas 2025? Yes! The Holiday will be screening in select cinemas throughout the UK this December. What better way to watch your favourite holiday romcom than on the big screen at your local cinema? Is The Holiday on Netflix? Yes, The Holiday is available to stream on Netflix in the UK, meaning you can watch it over the festive period. The Holiday plot: What is it about? A festive feel-good romcom, here is the official synopsis for The Holiday: "Dumped and depressed, English rose Iris agrees to swap homes with similarly unlucky in love Californian Amanda for a much-needed break. "Iris finds herself in a palatial Hollywood mansion while Amanda navigates the lanes of a picture-perfect English village. Soon enough, both lovelorn ladies bump into local lads perfect for a romantic pick-me-up." Who's in the cast of The Holiday? As mentioned, this is a romcom that stars Jack Black, which makes it worth checking out even just for curiosity's sake! Other than Mr Black, the main cast is headed up by Cameron Diaz, Jude Law and Kate Winslet, with appearances from the likes of Rufus Sewell, Eli Wallach and Ed Burns. The Holiday is available to stream on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream. If you're looking for something to watch tonight, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide or visit our Film hub for all the latest news. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
When is The Muppet Christmas Carol on TV? Is it on Netflix?
Everything you need to know about the puppet version of Charles Dickens's classic Christmas story with Michael Caine.
When it comes to Christmas films, you don't get much better than The Muppet Christmas Carol – in fact, according to RadioTimes.com readers, you can't get better at all, as it was voted the best Christmas film of all time in our 2023 poll. The beloved film was first released in 1992, and retells Charles Dickens's classic festive tale with Sir Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge, and the Muppets filling out many of the other central roles. As in other versions of the story, the miserly Scrooge is visited over one Christmas Eve night by ghosts of Christmas past, present and yet to come, teaching him to be more generous and loving of his fellow man. The film came from director Brian Henson, the son of Muppets creator Jim Henson, who spoke exclusively to RadioTimes.com in 2022, in order to mark the 30-year anniversary of the film. Henson called the film "quite possibly the best thing I ever did", and said of Caine's casting: "One of the first things he said to me the first time we met, he said, 'I'm going to play this utterly, utterly straight.' And I was like, 'Yes, that would be great.' "Because up until Muppet Christmas Carol, actors in Muppet movies were mostly cameos and it was an opportunity for them to do things a little bit outrageous and to tell big jokes. And it was terrific that he got it – he got how this was going to work." Of course, many a fan will be planning a rewatch this festive season, but how can they do so? Here’s how you can watch and stream The Muppet Christmas Carol this December. When is The Muppet Christmas Carol on TV? There is no set date yet for if the movie will be on TV this year, but never fear! Disney Plus is the home of The Muppet Christmas Carol in 2025, and it has the movie looking better than ever by hosting it in 4K HDR! What's more, an extended edition of the movie is available to stream on the platform featuring When Love Is Gone, a song removed from the film's original theatrical cut. View Affiliate Playlist on the source website Can I watch The Muppet Christmas Carol on Netflix or Amazon Prime Video? Sadly, The Muppet Christmas Carol isn’t available on Netflix UK or free to watch for Amazon Prime customers. However, you can buy and stream the film from Amazon, Apple TV, and Sky Store from £9.99, or to rent from £3.49. View oEmbed on the source website Can I watch The Muppet Christmas Carol in cinemas in 2025? Yes! The Muppet Christmas Carol is showing in select cinemas throughout the UK on Christmas Eve, Wednesday 24th December. Cinemas partaking include ODEON, Everyman, Vue, and Showcase - so get down to your local cinema this Christmas Eve if you feel like watching The Muppet Christmas Carol on the big screen. Who's in the cast of The Muppet Christmas Carol? Within the swarm of Muppets in The Muppet Christmas Carol, you’ll probably recognise Michael Caine playing Ebenezer Scrooge. The actor is best known for his roles in Educating Rita, Hannah and Her Sisters and the Dark Knight trilogy. Talking about whether he has a favourite Muppet movie, Caine told GQ: "Oh, my one. I watch it all the time with the kids, I think it’s the funniest of the lot. But then I would, wouldn’t I? And I see it every year, because it’s on television every year at Christmas. I just saw it in the TV guide. It’s a good, fun film for kids. And of course, it can never grow old, unlike me." Other human characters you might find familiar are Robin Weaver (Simon’s mum from The Inbetweeners), who plays Scrooge's niece-in-law Clara, and Luther's Steven Mackintosh as Fred, Ebenezer Scrooge's nephew. If you're looking for something to watch tonight, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide or visit our Film hub for all the latest news. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Death in Paradise 2025 Christmas special releases first look at festive episode – including special Doctor Who guest star
Pearl Mackie is playing a key role in the new 90-minute special.
As we rapidly approach Christmas, Death in Paradise fans are in for a treat, with new specials on the horizon for both the mainline show and its spin-off, Beyond Paradise. Now, a host of newly released images have given us a fresh look at the Death in Paradise special, including showing off new scenes featuring some of the episode's guest stars. These guest stars include Doctor Who's Pearl Mackie, Shaun of the Dead's Kate Ashfield, Waterloo Road's James Baxter, Ted Lasso's Billy Harris and Good Omens' Josie Lawrence. The majority of the guest cast are seen in the images partying on Saint Marie, although Lawrence was seen stood on a station platform in the UK in a previously released photo. The guest stars will be joining the show's regular characters including DI Mervin Wilson (Don Gilet), DS Naomi Thomas (Shantol Jackson), Officer Darlene Curtis (Ginny Holder), Officer Sebastian Rose (Shaquille Ali-Yebuah) and Catherine Bordey (Élizabeth Bourgine). The synopsis for the 90-minute special says: "The office Christmas party of a lifetime takes a dark turn when four co-workers wake up to find a stranger dead in the pool of their Caribbean villa. "DI Mervin Wilson and the team identify the murder weapon, but they’re left baffled when they find that it was locked in a drawer when the murder took place... thousands of miles away from the crime scene, in Swindon! "Stuck in Saint Marie, the team calls on the help of a familiar face to crack the case. "Meanwhile, Mervin’s anxiously waiting to hear back from his newly discovered brother, which prevents him from embracing Saint Marie's Christmas celebrations. "Can Mervin resolve his family situation and get into the festive spirit – for the sake of his team and the island?" One star whose appearance in the special is uncertain is Don Warrington, whose character Selwyn Patterson was last seen turning down an offer to return to his role as commissioner. Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com ahead of this year's special, Warrington said that fans of the show are "right to worry" that they might have seen the last of the commissioner. "He made a decision, and who knows. Is he going to change his mind? Is he not? Is something going to happen to help him one way or the other? I’ve no idea." The Death in Paradise 2025 Christmas special will air on 28th December at 8:30pm on BBC One and iPlayer. Add Death in Paradise to your watchlist on the <a id="OWA8b702c45-bee9-94e4-f018-57518e78041b" title="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" href="https://www.radiotimes.com/download-the-app/?af_xp=custom&pid=website&c=editorial_content&is_retargeting=true&af_reengagement_window=30d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-outlook-id="449c28d9-909e-4aab-b6b8-153454f55d5e" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Where to watch Love Actually this Christmas 2025 and is it on TV?
Richard Curtis's festive favourite Love Actually follows 10 interconnected love stories during the run-up to Christmas.
While Richard Curtis fans now have last year's animated film That Christmas to rewatch this December, there's no doubt they will also be heading back to the writer/director's previous beloved festive effort, Love Actually. The 2003 film remains an absolute favourite among romcom fans and Christmas film fans alike – even if Curtis himself doesn't often rewatch the film, and considers its continued success a "strange bit of luck". The film is known for telling multiple intertwined love stories and for its stellar cast, filled with big name stars such as Bill Nighy, Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson, Keira Knightley and Alan Rickman. Co-casting director Fiona Weir reflected on casting Rickman as Harry for 2023's 20th anniversary of the film, telling People: "Alan encompassed that deeply complicated man who loves his wife and family, but has somehow lost track of something in his life and gets tempted by this other girl, but still really cares about the people who work for him." Speaking about Rickman’s casting, Weir added that the production team "knew that he would bring even more layers and complexity to the part than was already there". The film is filled with iconic scenes, from the much-parodied sequence with Knightley, Andrew Lincoln and those signs, through to Bill Nighy's cover of Love Is All Around and Hugh Grant dance through 10 Downing Street. Once again, the film is on tour across the UK in December this year (and will be again in 2026), accompanied by a live orchestra - but for those hoping to watch it at home, when and where can they find it? Here's how you can watch and stream Love Actually this year. Where to watch Love Actually online in the UK If you have Sky Cinema, NOW, or Netflix then you're in luck – as Love Actually is currently available for free with a subscription. It's also available for digital rent and download on various platforms including Amazon Prime Video from £2.99 and YouTube from £3.49 while you can also buy the <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Love-Actually-Blu-ray-Hugh-Grant/dp/B0DXFW6R43/ref=sr_1_2?crid=SLGCNPNEHBQ9&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.LBOzwYFXzy7dQFpoe5DxdFEN2GwOgCUexmRzC5vDz_pIqdq6uES78C-i-fIrPNT5wMUgf455i1q0gV0qz4u4wPxahfAi6Sqcp4LisEk_t2hBOpFZBm6bs4uCqCLMuXD965KcJOL7yQmdLT_IxNI1g0RzDsOZQatzZ9M6eBUNLMU.Ih-irNagZuSErh2WCZDWQSMVEWHT3Es9WZNPYaZtuRk&dib_tag=se&keywords=love+actually+4k&qid=1765195998&s=dvd&sprefix=love+actually+4k%2Cdvd%2C83&sr=1-2&tag=radtim0b-21&ascsubtag=radiotimes-568640" target="_blank" rel="sponsored">Blu-ray on Amazon or buy the soundtrack here. Is Love Actually on TV this Christmas 2025? Love Actually has become a staple of the TV schedules over the festive period, and it is once again gracing our screens in December, airing on ITV2 on Tuesday 9th December at 9pm, again on ITV2 at 9pm on Sunday 14th December (both of these showings also on ITV2 HD and repeated at 10pm both nights on ITV2+1), as well as Sky Cinema Select and Sky Cinema Select HD at 8pm on Thursday 11th December. There will also be an airing on ITV at 9:10pm on Christmas Eve. Is Love Actually on Netflix? Yes, as well as being on NOW and Sky Cinema, Love Actually is on Netflix this year. You can check out some other festive favourites on Netflix over the holiday season here. If you're looking for something to watch tonight, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide or visit our Film hub for all the latest news. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Is the Bruce Willis classic a Christmas movie? The debate continues.
As we're now in December, film fans across the land will be lining up their festive watch lists. While the likes of The Muppet Christmas Carol, Elf and Love Actually are shoe-ins, there's always one film which remains a little more contentious. Over three and a half decades after its initial release, the question of whether or not Die Hard can be counted as a true Christmas movie remains fiercely contested. It was originally released during the summer months, but its festive setting means it picks up a huge amount of interest around the Yuletide period. The film, which was directed by John McTiernan, stars Bruce Willis as NYPD detective John McClane, who touches down in Los Angeles on 24th December with grand plans of making amends with his estranged wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia) at her company’s Christmas party. Just before he enters her office, though, the building is seized by the villainous Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) and his gang, who take everyone inside hostage. View oEmbed on the source website Film critic James King previously told RadioTimes.com that "Die Hard is a Christmas movie now but it didn’t start out as one". "Back in 1988 when it was released in the summer, I don’t think anyone thought it was a festive film," he continued. "Sure it had a seasonal setting but it was hardly warm and cuddly. "But over time, the fans have embraced its Christmas background and reinterpreted it as a yuletide classic. That’s what’s great about brilliant films: they don’t just have to be one thing." But is the film airing over the 2025 Christmas period, and where can fans stream it? Here’s all you need to know, so you can make your mind up on the Christmas movie debate once and for all. Is Die Hard on TV this Christmas? As with previous years, Die Hard received just a single TV broadcast this festive season, on Film4 on Friday 5th December. While there's nothing else in the schedules, this means that the film is available on Channel 4 (previously All4 and 4OD) for free until Sunday 4th January. You can watch the film here. Where else can I watch Die Hard? All five films are available to stream on Disney Plus – including the first film, which originally joined the streaming service much later than the sequels. You can sign up to Disney Plus for £4.99 a month or £79.90 a year. If you don't have a subscription to Disney Plus, you can buy or rent Die Hard and the other sequels on Amazon Prime Video. Apple TV also has the full collection available to purchase. Is Die Hard a Christmas movie? Philosophers across the world ponder the big questions in life – and perhaps the most prominent is the conundrum is Die Hard a Christmas movie, or is it just a movie that just happens to be set at Christmas? (It’s a Christmas movie and we won’t hear otherwise.) Like the pronunciation of scone, it is a query that has plagued people for decades (or, at least, since 1988), with even Die Hard star Bruce Willis saying – controversially – that he doesn’t believe the action-thriller is a Christmas movie. A 2021 poll by YouGov stepped in to settle the festive debate, finding that the public does not consider it to be a true Christmas film – even though just one year prior the film's director John McTiernan had said that he thought it was one. Christmas film or not, Die Hard still remains one of the best and most influential action films ever made, and the holidays just wouldn’t be the same without settling down to watch Bruce Willis’s star turn. How to watch the Die Hard films in order There are five films in the Die Hard series which were released over a 25 year period. The latest, A Good Day to Die Hard, first hit US cinema screens on Valentine's Day 2013. Here's the order they came out: Die Hard (1988) Die Hard 2 (1990) Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995) Live Free or Die Hard (2007) A Good Day to Die Hard (2013) If you're looking for something to watch tonight, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide or visit our Film hub for all the latest news. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Best Christmas movies on Netflix UK in 2025 – from Love Actually to The Holdovers
It's the most wonderful time of the year!
As we hurtle headfirst towards Christmas, you might already have worked your way through several of the classic festive films, from The Holiday to Love Actually. Luckily, if you're after a few more festive films to enjoy in the run-up to the big day, Netflix has a vast selection box to tuck into – and while the quality might be extremely variable, there are a couple of genuine greats alongside the more cheesy offerings. Nancy Meyers's 2006 romcom The Holiday – with its all-star cast featuring Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law and Jack Black – has more than earned its place in the Christmas canon over the years, as well as Richard Curtis's Love Actually. Another star-studded ensemble offering, the 2003 film has understandably already found its way in Netflix's top 10 some weeks ahead of Christmas. There's also the likes of some Oscar-nominated options including 2024's The Holdovers, which saw Da'Vine Joy Randolph scoop up the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, as well as the Oscar-nominated 2019 animation Klaus. And when it comes to the aforementioned cheesy options, there is a seemingly endless supply – from new offerings like Jingle Bell Heist, Hot Frosty and Our Little Secret to heartwarming romcom Single All the Way and Vanessa Hudgens's festive franchise The Princess Switch. RadioTimes.com has put together our selection of the best festive films to watch on the streaming giant as you hunker down with your nearest and dearest. So, without further ado, read on for the best Christmas movies to watch and stream on Netflix UK in 2025 to spread a little bit of festive cheer. Best Netflix Christmas movies to watch in 2025 Love Actually This romcom may have come out all the way back in 2003, but Love Actually remains a must-watch for many at this time of the year. With an all-star cast that includes Emma Thompson, Keira Knightley, Alan Rickman, Hugh Grant, Colin Firth and more, the film follows eight couples from all walks of life in the days leading up to Christmas. There's heartbreak, blossoming romance and plenty of festive feels – but we'd expect no less from the mind of Richard Curtis, who is otherwise known for Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill and the more recent That Christmas. Watch Love Actually now on Netflix The Holdovers Having recently been added to the streamer, The Holdovers was released last year in the UK to sweeping critical acclaim. Starring Paul Giamatti as Paul Hunham, a curmudgeonly instructor at a New England prep school, Paul remains on campus during Christmas break to babysit a handful of students with nowhere to go. He soon forms an unlikely bond with a brainy but damaged troublemaker, and with the school's head cook, a woman who just lost a son in the Vietnam War. The film is both hilarious and extremely touching, offering a bit more of a melancholic Christmas film experience than some other festive films but is nonetheless, an excellent pick. Watch The Holdovers now on Netflix That Christmas Richard Curtis made one of the most enduring Christmas films of the 21st century in Love Actually, and now his series of festive children's books have served as the basis for this new animated film on Netflix. Similarly to Love Actually, it tells the interlocking stories of various families and friends in the run up to Christmas Day, with an A-list cast of British actors providing the voices. It's also a lot more suitable for children than his earlier film – a sweet and charming tale suitable for the whole family. Watch That Christmas now on Netflix Nativity! This 2009 film ended up spawning a whole franchise – with three sequels having followed in the 10 years since the original, each introducing a new major actor to the cast. The first entry is the only one streaming on Netflix and sees Martin Freeman starring as primary school teacher Paul Maddens, who is tasked with directing the annual Nativity play A spirited film perfect for younger audiences, the cast of children more than match the big names in the cast. Watch Nativity! now on Netflix The Family Stone Another recent addition to Netflix in time for the festive period, The Family Stone sees the late Diane Keaton lead an ensemble cast that also includes the likes of Sarah Jessica Parker, Claire Danes, Rachel McAdams and more. The film follows Parker's Meredith, who has grown up with conservative values, discovering that she's a bit of a misfit at her boyfriend's family's Christmas celebrations. Whilst their relationship seems to be going swimmingly when in the city, when they visit family in a small New England town, that's when things start to go awry. Watch The Family Stone now on Netflix Jingle Bell Heist This brand new festive release for 2025 sees Connor Swindells and Olivia Holt star as Nick and Sophia, two cash-strapped strangers who team up to rob a London department store on Christmas Eve. Whilst their major focus is on not getting caught and getting revenge on the store's owner, there may also be some blossoming romance round the corner. Watch Jingle Bell Heist now on Netflix Hot Frosty Arguably the pick of Netflix's 2024 slate of festive originals, Hot Frosty stars Hallmark movie stalwart Lacey Chabert as a recently widowed woman who finds love in an unexpected way – by falling for a handsome snowman who magically comes to life. Unabashedly silly but also rather sweet, it taps into many of the tropes of the cheesy Christmas movie – but with a game cast and some great jokes it manages to stand out from the crowd. Watch Hot Frosty now on Netflix Last Christmas This sentimental festive rom-com – which was written by Emma Thompson and directed by Paul Feig – takes its name from the hit Wham! song of the same name, and features many hits from George Michael's career on its soundtrack. Focusing on the romance between an employee at a Christmas-themed shop (Emilia Clarke) and a man who seems too good to be true (Henry Golding), it's certainly an imperfect film. It's a little twee, rife with clichés. and a late twist received a certain amount of ridicule at the time of the film's release in 2019. But if you're looking for a slice of festive cheese, it will go down well with a glass of mulled wine. Watch Last Christmas now on Netflix Violent Night This film is essentially like Die Hard meets Home Alone, with Stranger Things star David Harbour playing a rather crude version of Santa Claus, who must regain his mojo to take action when mercenaries gatecrash the celebrations of a wealthy family. What follows is an entertaining bloodbath that might not necessarily bring festive cheer for all audiences, but Harbour’s big, bold and ultimately heartwarming performance anchors the film and provides plenty of laughs along the way. Watch Violent Night now on Netflix Our Little Secret <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2024/11/OLS2024021205538R-5635f87.jpg" width="7200" height="4800" alt="Ian Harding as Logan, Dan Bucatinsky as Leonard, Kristin Chenoweth as Erica and Lindsay Lohan as Avery in Our Little Secret in a kitchen at Christmas" title="Ian Harding as Logan, Dan Bucatinsky as Leonard, Kristin Chenoweth as Erica and Lindsay Lohan as Avery in Our Little Secret" /> Lindsay Lohan’s second festive film for Netflix is more grounded than her previous offering, Falling for Christmas. She stars as Avery, who finds herself unexpectedly shacked up alongside her ex-boyfriend Logan (Ian Harding) years after splitting up. They’ve each found new partners, but it turns out those partners are siblings — which leads to an awkward festive holiday that sees Avery and Logan desperately trying to keep their history a secret from the new family. The contrived set-up is mined for some amusing gags, ensuring this is a cut above most made-for-streaming seasonal fare. Watch Our Little Secret now on Netflix The Holiday Love Actually is probably still the most beloved star-studded mid-2000s Christmas romcom – but Nancy Meyers's 2006 film can give it a good run for its money, and is now firmly established as a festive favourite. The film sees Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz star as two women living in England and the US respectively who swap homes for the festive period in a bid to cast aside their relationship woes – only to each find themselves falling for local guys played by Jack Black and Jude Law. Watch The Holiday now on Netflix Klaus The first Netflix original film to be nominated for the Best Animated Feature award at the Oscars, Klaus is a charming, heartwarming film that serves as an alternative origin story for Santa Claus, who is voiced by JK Simmons as part of a star-studded voice cast that also includes Jason Schwartzman, Rashida Jones and Joan Cusack. Schwartzman plays Jesper, a hapless student postman who is stationed in the miserable, selfish Arctic town of Smeerensburg as a punishment for being the worst person at his Academy, with his life changing when he comes across a brilliant but reclusive toymaker known as Klaus. Watch Klaus now on Netflix The Christmas Chronicles There have been a lot of great on-screen Santas over the years – from Richard Attenborough to Tim Allen – and the idea to cast Kurt Russell as Jolly Old Saint Nick (alongside Goldie Hawn as Mrs Claus) was a stroke of genius from the creative team behind this Netflix original family flick from 2018. It follows a pair of siblings whose plan to capture Santa Claus on camera one Christmas Eve goes horribly awry – leading them to form an alliance with the big man and his elves in order to save Christmas. It was followed by a sequel on 2020, which is also worth a watch. Watch The Christmas Chronicles now on Netflix Robin Robin Aardman Animations currently has a new Wallace & Gromit film on the way – but if you're looking for something more explicitly festive, you can check out the studio's 2021 musical short Robin Robin, which follows a stop-motion bird attempting a heist. The robin in question has been raised by a family of mice, and has only recently become aware that she is rather different from her relatives, so she sets out on a daring adventure to steal a star and prove that she, too, can be a good mouse. The impressive voice cast includes Richard E Grant, Gillian Anderson and Adeel Akhtar. Watch Robin Robin now on Netflix Single All the Way When it comes to Christmas movies generally, you can somewhat guess the plotline and unfortunately, the genre lacks diversity in all areas. But this recent Netflix movie seeks to rectify some gaping representation holes and is the streaming giant's first gay festive romcom. Single All the Way follows bachelor Peter (Michael Urie), whose plans to bring his boyfriend home for Christmas are derailed when he discovers that his new man is actually someone else’s husband. When Peter convinces his best friend Nick (Philemon Chambers) to accompany him instead, his family soon hatch a plan to make a real relationship happen between the pair. But, of course, like any good romantic film, the pair are left to contemplate their own relationship and ask themselves how much they really mean to each other. Watch Single All the Way now on Netflix Falling for Christmas In Falling for Christmas, Lindsay Lohan returns to the big screen as Sierra Belmont, a newly engaged heiress who has a skiing accident in the days leading up to Christmas. After she is diagnosed with amnesia, she finds herself in the care of handsome cabin owner Jake (Chord Overstreet) and his daughter. Queue a will-they-won't-they storyline to keep you guessing and a fair share of heartwarming romance. While the premise is far from ordinary, the film has quickly ticked many viewers' boxes on what they want in a festive film: an easy watch, quietly comedic and somewhat predictable. Watch Falling for Christmas now on Netflix Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey If you're looking for the kind of festive musical that has an important life message at its centre, look no further than this 2020 film. In Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, we follow the story of Jeronicus Jangle, an eccentric inventor who loses his passion for life after a personal tragedy. It takes a visit from his granddaughter, a creative young girl called Journey, to once again spark his enthusiasm – but it might be too late to thwart a dastardly scheme by his former apprentice-turned-rival. Watch Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey now on Netflix Love Hard There's just something about romcoms and Christmas that seem to go hand in hand, and this 2021 Netflix release fits the bill perfectly. Starring The Vampire Diaries' Nina Dobrev, this film takes everything we know and love about the genre and upends it with a modern twist. Dating apps and catfishing plague this LA writer's fledging romance and when Natalie (Dobrev) finds out that she's been speaking to an entirely different person than she thought – after having travelled 3,000 miles to surprise him for the holidays – hope is almost lost. She soon finds out that actually, she's been catfished by her dream man's childhood friend Josh (Jimmy O Yang) who is equally as unlucky in love. Essentially, this is a lighthearted romantic comedy that chronicles Natalie's attempts to reel in love, all with varying results. Watch Love Hard now on Netflix The Noel Diary The best kinds of Christmas films are those that somehow end up in a whirlwind of events that you least expect. With The Noel Diary, we follow Justin Hartley as Jacob Turner, a best-selling author who returns home at Christmas to settle his mother's estate upon her death. Instead, he discovers a diary that holds secrets to the past and also to Rachel (Barrett Doss) – an intriguing young woman on a mission of her own. Together, they embark on a journey to confront their pasts and discover a future that's totally unexpected. Watch The Noel Diary now on Netflix The Princess Switch A Netflix Christmas film list can't be complete without a mention of The Princess Switch. Now onto its third movie, the franchise has won over viewers with how charming it is, not to mention the sheer amount of joyful escapism the three films provide. The identity swapping premise is rather simple but it doesn't mean it gets any less interesting to watch. In the first film, we follow Margaret, Duchess of Montenaro, who, one week prior to Christmas, switches places with Stacy, a Chicago 'commoner' who looks exactly like her. With the assistance of a magical Santa's helper, Margaret falls in love with Stacy's handsome co-worker while Stacy falls in love with Margaret's fiancé, the dashing Prince. As for the other two movies, there's ascensions to the throne, romance and fun in store, which is the perfect kind of film trilogy to get stuck into at Christmas time. Watch The Princess Switch now on Netflix How the Grinch Stole Christmas Every year, almost like clockwork, this 2000 film slowly creeps its way back into Netflix's top 10 rankings. It's a classic and not only stars Jim Carrey, Taylor Momsen and Christine Baranski, it's also a hilarious tale about the meaning behind everyone's favourite holiday. Based on the well-known Dr Seuss children's story, this live-action feature film follows Cindy Lou, a six-year-old girl who believes in the spirit of Christmas and sets out to reform the Grinch, who lives in solitude just outside Whoville, hates the townsfolk and despises Christmas. Watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas now on Netflix Christmas with You Pair any good Christmas film with a catchy soundtrack and you basically have a festive hit. In this Christmas movie, pop star Angelina (Aimee Garcia) escapes to grant a young fan's wish in small town New York even though she's suffering with career burn out. She not only finds the inspiration to revitalise her career, but also a shot at true love. Watch Christmas with You now on Netflix I Believe in Santa If you're looking for the kind of film that will most likely leave you with a smile on your face and believing a little more in the magic of Christmas, look no further than this Netflix release. The film follows Lisa (Christina Moore) and her new romantic flame Tom (John Ducey). All is going well in their blissful five months of dating until Lisa learns that Tom is actually obsessed with her least favourite holiday of the year. The big question of the film is, though: is it time to give Christmas another chance? Watch I Believe in Santa now on Netflix Scrooge: A Christmas Carol Netflix has taken to adapting a Charles Dickens classic and this version is a glorious animation. A Christmas Carol has seen iterations as a Muppet-filled affair, a 1901 silent film and a 2009 computer animated feature film, also. This time round, though, this newly released Netflix film updates the famous 1970 Leslie Bricusse-composed musical with reimagined songs. And when we tell you that this is a star-studded voicing affair, we mean it. Not only do we have Luke Evans as Adult Scrooge, we also have Olivia Colman as 'Past', the Ghost of Christmas Past, Jessie Buckley as Isabel Fezziwig and Johnny Flynn as Bob Cratchit. Rounding out the cast is Fra Fee as Harry Huffam, Giles Terera as Tom Jenkins, Trevor Dion Nicholas as 'Present', James Cosmo as Mr Fezziwig and Jonathan Pryce as Jacob Marley. Watch Scrooge: A Christmas Carol now on Netflix Holidate 'Feel-good' is the term that springs to mind when describing this festive number, and it's clear to see why. Holidate follows two strangers who, fed up with being single over the holidays, agree to be one another's dates to their respective holiday gatherings while they remain single. We follow them as they go from being platonic plus-ones to fighting their very real (and growing) feelings towards each other. Not only does it have a touch of raunch to it, the film also includes a good slate of festive songs that will leave you humming along long after watching. Watch Holidate now on Netflix A Castle for Christmas This movie may be a little bit silly, but it's all part of the festive charm that makes it such an easy watch. To escape a scandal, a best-selling author journeys to Scotland where she falls in love with a castle – and faces off with the grumpy duke who owns it. A Castle for Christmas stars Brooke Shields as protagonist Sophie Brown, while Cary Elwes plays Duke Myles. There's also even a cameo from Drew Barrymore. Watch A Castle for Christmas now on Netflix Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker This documentary film is a welcome change from the usual comedic fare that populates Netflix's Christmas movie lists usually. In this Shonda Rhimes docufilm, we learn more about Debbie Allen's (Grey's Anatomy) career and follow her group of dance students as they prepare for Allen's annual Hot Chocolate Nutcracker. It's a behind-the-scenes look at Allen's own dancing school, but also provides crucial insight into a career and dance style that is usually vastly underrepresented. Watch Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker now on Netflix Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Every EastEnders Christmas episode ranked ahead of another eventful yuletide in Walford
What's been Walford's most memorable festive outing?
Nothing quite screams the festive season like a good old EastEnders Christmas special – whether you watch the show month after month, or only dip into it in the last two weeks of December, we've all got a soft spot for the iconic BBC soap. For many who will be tuning into the special episodes this festive season, they will be clued up on all the goings-on in Walford, from Nigel Bates's (Paul Bradley) dementia battle to the mystery of Zoe Slater's (Michelle Ryan) tormenter. When it comes to soapland at Christmas, anything can happen. From murders to affair reveals to arrests, it only ever has that extra oomph on the big day. EastEnders is no stranger to an iconic festive storyline, whether it be Den Watts serving Angie divorce papers or Jamie Mitchell tragically dying in hospital. So let's reminisce on some of the most iconic EastEnders Christmas episodes, which often starts a debate about who takes the top spot. After much discussion, RadioTimes.com has compiled a full ranking of every EastEnders Christmas special – and the number one spot may not be the storyline you think. So, while we're all gearing up for the big return of Pat Evans (Pam St Clement) this year, here's our team's run-down of the last 40 years of yuletide instalments. EastEnders Christmas specials ranking 40. Gray Atkins and Chelsea Fox's wedding (2021) Perhaps the most anticlimactic of Christmas specials, Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty) sought to stop Chelsea Fox (Zaraah Abrahams) from marrying serial killer Gray Atkins (Toby-Alexander Smith) – only to fail and no consequences to be felt for Gray for months. Meanwhile, Rocky Cotton's (Brian Conley) long-con of Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy) was exposed and weird paternity secrets were revealed - only for none of this to have any consequences in the weeks to come. Lewis Knight. 39. Alfie Moon's nightmare Christmas (2018) A dramatic Christmas special ruined Alife Moon's (Shane Richie) character as he was exposed as the secret father of Hayley Slater's (Katie Jarvis) baby, ending in his near death. Dramatic in the moment, but with unwelcome long-term consequences for golden couple Kat (Jessie Wallace) and Alfie. Lewis Knight. 38. EastEnders' first Christmas (1985) The first-ever Christmas in Walford – a quiet one, but vital nonetheless. The big stuff wouldn't come until the following year. Lewis Knight. 37. Dirty Den Watts in jail (1988) A unique Christmas episode – spent with "Dirty" Den Watts (Leslie Grantham) behind bars at Dickens Hill prison with memorable guest characters. Lewis Knight. 36. Cindy Beale gives birth (1989) More notable for its long-lasting impact, newly-married Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) finally gave birth to her son Steven, but hiding a ticking time bomb – his father wasn't her husband Ian (Adam Woodyatt) but his stepbrother Simon Wicks (Nick Berry). Lewis Knight. 35. Phil Mitchell gets his new liver (2016) View oEmbed on the source website Now while in the grand scheme of things, this isn't a wild storyline, you simply have to appreciate Sharon Mitchell (Letitia Dean) getting irate over son Dennis Rickman Jr (Bleu Landau) chucking a Brussels sprout at Roxy Mitchell (Rita Simons), or her screaming in the Square that Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) has got a transplant whilst baubles hang from her reindeer headband. Cinema. Katelyn Mensah. 34. Mark Fowler comes home (1987) A nice surprise for poor Pauline Fowler (Wendy Richards) – Mark (then David Scarboro) returned home for Christmas. Elsewhere, Den secretly paid a visit to his secret love child Vicki, who lived with her mother Michelle Holloway (Susan Tully). Elsewhere, struggling punk mum Mary Smith (Laura Davidson) spent time in the hospital but received a visit from family. A bevvy of iconic characters in the mix here. Lewis Knight. 33. Cindy Beale wants her children! (1997) Surprise, surprise, Cindy Beale caused trouble for her husband Ian as she fought for access to her children. Meanwhile, Ted Hills (Brian Croucher) discovered that his ex-wife Irene (Roberta Taylor) had found a new love with Terry Raymond (Gavin Richards), while Kathy Mitchell (Gillian Taylforth) found a new spark with vicar Alex Healy (Richard Driscoll) in the run-up to her dramatic exit the following year. Lewis Knight. 32. Mandy Salter and Aidan Brosnan on the Roof (1993) View oEmbed on the source website Mandy Salter (Nicola Stapleton) faced an even darker Christmas while living homeless with heartthrob boyfriend Aidan Brosnan (Sean Maguire). Events reached a climax as Aidan contemplated suicide from the roof of a tower block but was stopped by his beloved Mandy. Aidan survived, but sadly their toxic relationship did not. Merry Christmas! Lewis Knight. 31. Everyone round to the Fowlers' house (1992) A truly festive episode – aside from Pat Butcher (Pam St. Clement) running over a pedestrian while over the limit. Mandy faced a cold Christmas without her absent mother but found a warm yuletide scene at a thoroughly crowded Fowler house. The ideal balance of grit and heart. Lewis Knight. 30. Ian Beale tries to kill Simon Wicks (1990) A classic EastEnders story reached its climax as Ian Beale tried to kill step-brother Simon Wicks over the paternity of Cindy's son Steven. Meanwhile, Phil and Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) dealt with trouble from little sister Sam (then Danniella Westbrook) – some things never change! Lewis Knight. 29. Sharon Beale poisons Christmas (2020) The COVID Christmas episode saw the extreme – but heavily meme-worthy – story of Sharon trying to murder best friend Ian over the death of her son Denny Rickman, just as we also learned that Phil was the one who attacked Ian weeks prior in a scheme with Sharon. Lewis Knight. 28. Sheanu exposed (2019) EastEnders attempted a gritty Christmas season here as Phil Mitchell sought to take revenge on his pregnant wife Sharon and her illicit lover, Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters). Meanwhile, Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) and Martin Fowler (now James Bye) each hit rock bottom and got entangled in a mystery surrounding Keanu's fate… Lewis Knight. 27. Who attacked Cindy? (2024) <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2024/12/Cindy-1-bf96c1c-e1736863331687.jpg" width="4710" height="3140" alt="A festive promo image featuring Francesca Henry as Gina Knight, Molly Rainford as Anna Knight, Micah Balfour as Junior Knight, Harriet Thorpe as Elaine Knight, Colin Salmon as George Knight, Michelle Collins in a fur coat as Cindy Beale in the centre, Adam Woodyatt as Ian Beale, Thomas Law as Peter Beale, Jacqueline Jossa as Lauren Branning, and Gillian Taylforth as Kathy Cotton for EastEnders." title="Cindy Beale EastEnders" /> Just hours after her affair with Junior Knight (Micah Balfour) was exposed by Lauren Beale (Jacqueline Jossa) – in festive scenes mirroring an episode further down in our list – Cindy was whacked over the head by a mystery assailant and collapsed in the snow. It had all the makings of a classic Christmas, but the reveal of Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth) as her attacker was simply bizarre, and soured the mystery somewhat. Michael Adams 26. Mick Carter's exit (2022) Anticipation was high for the exit of Mick Carter (Danny Dyer) in the first Christmas under executive producer Chris Clenshaw and it did not disappoint. Multiple shocking revelations, a Queen Vic showdown and a clifftop stunt saw Mick lost at sea in scenes of emotional devastation for Linda Carter. Thankfully, the door remains open for Mick to return one day... Lewis Knight. 25. Irene Raymond's affair exposed (1999) The Di Marco/Mitchell Christmas dinner goes down a treat, Terry learns about wife Irene's adulterous affair, and Phil flogs the pub to Dan Sullivan (Craig Fairbrass) for £5! Lewis Knight. 24. Kat Slater and Alife Moon get married (2003) View oEmbed on the source website Kat and Alfie only deal with happy Christmases, mostly. In 2003, after some comedic hijinks, the soulmates finally tied the knot and Alfie even delighted fans with a snow machine on the big day. Meanwhile, Phil Mitchell made an explosive return to Walford for revenge on the Watts clan and his estranged wife Kate (Jill Halfpenny). Lewis Knight. 23. Grant Mitchell cheats on wife Tiffany (1996) Another tragic chapter in Grant and Tiffany Mitchell's (Martine McCutcheon) toxic marriage occurred when the former cheated with new barmaid Lorraine Wicks (Jacqueline Leonard). Meanwhile, powerful scenes of forgiveness occurred between Peggy Mitchell (Barbara Windsor) – then suffering from breast cancer – and Mark Fowler (then Todd Carty), whom she previously dealt abuse due to his HIV+ status. Lewis Knight. 22. Frank Butcher returns to Walford (1995) Frank Butcher's (Mike Reid) return to Walford is one for the history books. A year after fleeing Walford due to getting himself into debt, Frank returned home to find Pat Butcher moving on with car dealer Roy Evans (Tony Caunter) and was furious As Frank returned home, he was furious to find his wife had moved on and declared he wanted his house, business and children back, and things soon came to a head for Roy when Frank told him about his night of passion with Pat. Classic EastEnders. Katelyn Mensah. 21. Stacey Slater flees Walford (2010) After having stories dominating the soap for years, Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) bowed out for the first time in dramatic style thanks to her nemesis Janine Malloy (Charlie Brooks). After being outed as Archie Mitchell's killer and framed for stabbing Janine, Stacey contemplated suicide before escaping Walford for a life on the run in Mexico – until she made an explosive comeback in 2014. Lewis Knight. 20. Mitchell/Beale crash (2015) 2015 was a terrifying Christmas for the Beales and Mitchells alike after finding themselves involved in a car crash. After the families had a dramatic showdown over Christmas dinner, it seemed as though Bobby Beale (then Eliot Carrington) was going to strike again. When Bobby returned home with blood-stained clothes and shoes, begging for Jane's (Laurie Brett) help, Ian Beale and Phil Mitchell found a nearly unconscious Denny Rickman Jr at Walford Common. The families drove to the hospital but before they could get there, Phil crashed the car, with Denny thrown from the car as doctors tried to save his life. Quite the dramatic episode, and for Bobby, things finally came to a head when Ian revealed to him that he had in fact killed Lucy Beale (Hetti Bywater). Katelyn Mensah. 19. Sharon and Grant Mitchell's marriage ends (1994) It's the aftermath of the iconic Sharongate reveal but the Mitchell clan were still licking their wounds. Sharon and Grant's toxic marriage finally came to a close as the breathy blonde walked out on the Queen Vic after signing divorce papers. Lewis Knight. 18. Grant and Tiffany Mitchell's marriage implodes (1998) Another Mitchell marriage disaster. The toxic marriage of Grant and Tiffany Mitchell imploded in spectacular style as Tiff teamed up with Beppe di Marco (Michael Greco) to get Grant imprisoned for attempted murder, all while her best friend Bianca Butcher (Patsy Palmer) goes into labour with Grant by her side. Lewis Knight. 17. Derek Branning's heart attack (2012) View oEmbed on the source website Max Branning (Jake Wood) was looking for a happy ending with Tanya Cross (Jo Joyner). It was bound to end badly and thanks to evil brother Derek (Jamie Foreman) it does when Max's secret third wife Kirsty (Kierston Wareing) rocks up on Max's wedding day to Tanya. If that wasn't enough, Derek suffered a fatal heart attack while his family looked on. Savage. Lewis Knight. 16. Phil Mitchell and Mel Healy's lust (2000) Phil Mitchell and Mel Healy's (Tamzin Outhwaite) fiery chemistry came to a head – betraying poor Lisa Shaw (Lucy Benjamin). Meanwhile, Jamie Mitchell (Jack Ryder) finally learned who the secret father of Sonia Jackson's baby was – their fellow tearaway teen Martin Fowler (then James Alexandrou)! Lewis Knight. 15. Kat and Alfie Moon's happy ending? (2005) View oEmbed on the source website Soaps rarely do fairytale endings well, but this year saw Kat Slater and Alfie Moon ride off into the snowy sunset together, while Sharon and Dennis Rickman (Nigel Harman) heard they would be having a miracle baby. Happy tears all round – until each couple's moments would be ruined in due course. Lewis Knight. 14. The Masoods' B&B explosion (2011) View oEmbed on the source website The Masood family had another huge storyline here. As viewers witnessed in the lead-up, Zainab Masood's (Nadia Wadia) husband, Yusef Khan (Ace Bhatti), had been abusing her amid his plan to take her to Pakistan, which was finally revealed on Christmas Day. As his evil plan was playing out, Yusef attacked Masood Ahmed (Nitin Ganatra) and left him for dead. But things crumbled around Yusef, as when he set fire to the bed and breakfast, he had to go inside after being told his daughter was trapped – but this was false and Yusef died as the house exploded. Katelyn Mensah. 13. The death of Pauline Fowler (2006) View oEmbed on the source website How do you say goodbye to a legend like Pauline Fowler? In a bitter last stand, the Fowler matriarch finally saw the light but all too late and took a tumble in the snow. Meanwhile, the Max and Stacey affair finally began... Lewis Knight. 12. The Branning sisters' tragic fall (2017) Another jaw-dropping Max Branning special from writer Simon Ashdown as the character's latest web of lies collapsed and he lost daughters Lauren (Jacqueline Jossa) and Abi (Lorna Fitzgerald) – the latter, tragically, forever, in another Queen Vic death drop. Lewis Knight. 11. Janine Butcher exposed as Michael Moon's killer (2013) Janine Butcher getting arrested for killing Michael Moon (Steve John Shepherd) ranks 10th largely due to the sheer chaos that took place before the police managed to arrest her. From having a stand-off with Joey Branning (David Witts) in the middle of the Square to getting in her car and driving away with baby Scarlett wailing in the background – if that wasn't enough for the supervillain, she starts having a car chase with the police before crashing into a stall and STILL trying to run away. I respect the devotion to trying to get away, but at least this meant Alice Branning (Jasmyn Banks) could eventually go free. Justice! Katelyn Mensah. 10. Mark Fowler tells Pauline and Arthur about his HIV (1991) View oEmbed on the source website This was a year that offered us the classic EastEnders juxtaposition of joy and sadness. The now iconic pairing of Sharon Watts and Grant Mitchell had their quickly organised wedding – complete with Ross Kemp delivering his romantic rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone. Of course, this would turn out to be one toxic soap marriage – never forget Sharongate – but this was the original EastEnders Christmastime wedding and feels like a snapshot of the soap's golden era. Meanwhile, EastEnders delivered heartbreaking scenes in its groundbreaking HIV storyline with Mark Fowler as he finally told his loving parents Arthur (Bill Treacher) and Pauline Fowler that he was HIV positive. The sequence was both moving and highly educational, and one of the best examples of the power of soap. Lewis Knight. 9. Shannis affair exposed (2004) The Watts revival era in EastEnders is an underrated classic era and few romances have delivered the heat that 'Shannis' did. Sharon Watts had met her true love in the form of her long-lost adoptive brother Dennis Rickman, however, their budding romance faced opposition in the form of their dad, "Dirty" Den Watts, back from the dead. While Dennis had tried to move on in a relationship with Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan), his heart still lay with Sharon. During the perfectly prepared Christmas dinner from Den's second wife Chrissie (Tracy-Ann Oberman), Sharon and Dennis announced their plans to leave for America and affirmed their love for each other. In response, Zoe was manipulated by Den into lying that she was pregnant. This lie caused Dennis to decide to stand by his unborn child with Zoe and the result saw Sharon decide to leave for America alone. On top of this, Den's younger daughter Vicki Fowler (then Scarlett Alice Johnson) overheard Den admit to Sharon that he loved Vicki less than her, resulting in her leaving with Sharon to America. A true EastEnders Christmas: a family torn apart by secrets and lies. If that wasn't enough, a screaming Chrissie truly caps it off. Lewis Knight. 8. Trevor's reign of terror (2001) This early Noughties festive episode saw Mark Fowler propose to Lisa Shaw, but she was hiding a big secret – her ex-lover Phil Mitchell is the real father of her baby, Louise. It was a messy Christmas for Phil – though when is it not? – with Sharon Watts leaving him to spend time with her mother in America. But all that drama aside, there's another reason this particularly grim Christmas special lingers in the memory – towering turns from Kacey Ainsworth as Little Mo Slater and Alex Ferns as her cruel husband Trevor. One of EastEnders' most hateful villains, Trevor physically assaulted Mo when she, to his mind, spent too much time with her family on Christmas Day – in harrowing scenes, he shoved her face into her roast turkey dinner, then forced her to eat the remains off the floor. Hardly festive fun, but a hugely impactful storyline anchored by powerful performances which built to a climactic New Year's Eve episode which saw tortured Mo finally snap and lash out at Trevor... with an iron. Morgan Jeffery. 7. Sean Slater learns the truth about baby Amy's paternity (2008) Nothing says Christmas Day in Walford quite like a paternity test reveal. Well, nothing says a normal day in Walford quite like it either. As the Mitchell family are all gathered around the dinner table in the Queen Vic, Sean Slater (Rob Kazinsky) opens a letter revealing that he is not the biological father of Amy Slater. Of course, we are all well aware that Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) is the father, but we have to wait a little longer before that bombshell is revealed. The funniest moment in this scene isn't Roxy Mitchell ignoring everything and wanting to start eating, it is hands down Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick) telling Sean that you can print off false paternity tests on the internet because Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick) tricks him all the time with them. Always a comedian, our Billy. One major thing to note is the sheer gumption of Roxy to cry in betrayed sister Ronnie Mitchell's (Samantha Womack) arms, knowing that the father of Amy is sitting right next to her – and is Ronnie's boyfriend! The audacity is shocking, but a classic Christmas episode nonetheless. Katelyn Mensah. 6. Jamie Mitchell tragically dies in hospital (2002) It was a bleak Christmas indeed in Walford in 2002. Jamie Mitchell suffered a car accident when Martin Fowler ran him over outside the tube station, and sadly on Christmas Day, Sonia and Phil discovered he wouldn't survive the accident. In heartbreaking scenes, the pair decided not to tell Jamie he was dying and wanted him to enjoy his final moments without worrying about death. What followed were the likes of Jim, Billy and Robbie saying cryptic goodbyes to Jamie as the penny slowly dawned on him that he was dying. There were some truly beautiful scenes, with Steve McFadden especially excelling in the heartbreaking storyline when he said goodbye to the boy he considered a son of his own. And then it came to the fateful time, where Jamie died with his beloved Sonia by his side. Two scenes were interspersed with each other as Jamie lamented the wedding he would never have with his love, while Billy married Little Mo in a gorgeous ceremony. It's impossible not to cry as Billy and Little Mo leave the church to start their new lives together while Jamie loses his battle and dies. This is definitely one of the saddest episodes EastEnders has put out on Christmas Day, but one of the best in terms of storyline and performance. Helen Daly. 5. Dean Wicks is exposed for raping Linda Carter (2014) Some of the best fights on EastEnders are the ones when a character really deserves it and for Dean Wicks (Matt Di Angelo), I think we can all rally behind Mick's response on Christmas Day. After seeing Linda battling with the anxieties of seeing Dean on the Square each day, knowing what he did to her, it was a long time coming for him to finally get some comeuppance. The revelation that Mick and Dean were brothers is a twist that not many people saw coming, whether it was because it just didn't seem feasible or the fact that they were so different or that EastEnders managed to keep it a secret from the public. As much as I wish this twist didn't happen, it kept Dean alive to hopefully allow for him to pay for his crimes in prison one day. Katelyn Mensah. 4. Archie Mitchell is murdered – whodunnit? (2009) There's simply nothing finer than a Christmas whodunnit (as 2023's EastEnders is happily proving) and one of the greatest came in 2009 when super villain Archie Mitchell (Larry Lamb) was killed in the Queen Vic. It had been coming for the wrong 'un, following the attempted murder of Danielle (Lauren Crace) and rapes of Ronnie Mitchell and Stacey Slater – it was the latter which would come back to haunt him... Above and beyond though, the man was a rotter. He was truly disgusting to his daughter, Ronnie, abusing her when she was a teenager and causing her to lose a baby. If anyone deserved a nasty death, you know it was Archie. And so on Christmas Day, EastEnders showcased a plethora of potential suspects who hated every single bone of his. Janine, his partner (believe it or not), was kicked out unceremoniously when he discovered she was going to fleece him (what a pairing, honestly). And we know she has history, so she was looking good for the killing. Noble Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) warned him from hurting Ronnie further – or else – and even Peggy (Barbara Windsor) had a pop at him. Bradley punched him for raping Stacey and Ian had his two pennies also. Genuinely, it could've been anyone who saw off Archie, but none could've anticipated the way he would go – smashed over the head with the Queen Vic bust. Truly an iconic death for a monstrous villain. The reveal didn't happen for a few months, when it was eventually revealed Stacey was behind the bust and ended him for the terrible sexual assault she suffered at his hands. The more you think about Archie, the more satisfying his death was, and Christmas 2009 sticks out as a classically tense soap episode with a peppering of catharsis throughout and an excellent performance from Lamb. Storylines like this have paved the way for complex murder mysteries like The Six and Who Killed Lucy? so will forever go down as one of the great episodes of soap, not just a Christmas special. Helen Daly. 3. The Six kill Keanu (2023) If you pardon the pun, this storyline was as camp as Christmas. Preceded by an intriguing flashback scene that saw Stacey, Suki, Linda, Sharon, Denise and Kathy stood around a seemingly dead body, we viewers were left on the edge of our seats for months trying to work out who the mystery man on the floor was. There were a number of clues – namely a pair of cufflinks worn by the body – which were passed around almost every local in Albert Square before eventually landing on Nish Panesar's (Navin Chowdhry) suit. However, in the episode itself, this turned out be a red herring. Yes, he was knocked unconscious on the floor, but ultimately wasn't dead. Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters) barged in and began to throttle Sharon, with Linda piercing a meat thermometer into his back to stop him. The plot provided us with another drama to continue well into this year, as Keanu's grieving sister Bernie (Clair Norris) finally left the Square and put a lid on the secret ever being exposed. Or so we thought... Michael Adams 2. Den Watts serving Angie the divorce papers (1986) View oEmbed on the source website It might not have quite topped our list, but there's a reason so many consider this 1986 episode, only EastEnders' second-ever Christmas special, to be one of its very finest. The marriage of Queen Vic publicans Den and Angie Watts (Anita Dobson) had long been on the rocks, with multiple infidelities on both sides, but Den was left speechless in October of 1986 when his efforts to end the marriage for good were derailed by Angie's revelation that she was terminally ill, with just six months to live. It was a lie, of course, a desperate attempt to hold on to her husband – a fact Den discovered sometime later when he overheard a drunken Angie confess her terrible secret to a barman. More than 30 million viewers tuned in on Christmas Day to see the fallout – still one of the most-watched broadcasts in UK TV history – with Den finally confronting his wife with his knowledge of her twisted plot and serving her with divorce papers to boot. It's a magical TV moment, Den practically quivering with gleeful malice. "Happy Christmas, Ange!" Morgan Jeffery. 1. Max and Stacey Branning's affair reveal (2007) Quite possibly the best affair reveal in EastEnders history has to be Max and Stacey Branning. Whether it be because it was on Christmas Day, Max attempting (and failing) to gaslight his entire family or the absolute power move from Lauren (then Madeline Duggan) sneakily recording the entire thing, there is a lot of ground to cover. I think the best part about the reveal was Max telling everyone it wasn't real and looking intensely at Stacey to back him up, but soon enough the jig was up and Max was chucked out on Christmas Day. Deserved? Of course. Is he still my favourite character? Absolutely. The sheer personality of Max is something to be reckoned with – all those years later he managed to have a father-son relationship with Bradley, find another wife and patch up relations with his daughters. Now that's someone who ought not to be messed with. Katelyn Mensah. Read more: EastEnders 2025 Christmas schedule confirmed by BBC - including festive episode timings EastEnders reveals Anthony Trueman's disturbing secret as Zoe Slater falls into his trap in BBC iPlayer release EastEnders director reveals "eye-opening" experience crafting special Nigel Bates episode – and his incredible resilience to land the job EastEnders airs shock passion for Zoe Slater following intriguing tormenter twist in BBC iPlayer release EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and from 6am on BBC iPlayer. Visit our dedicated EastEnders page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. If you're looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide. Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10 – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
"I had no idea who Hugh Grant was": Love Actually child stars talk film's legacy
Child stars Olivia Olson, Will Wadham and Tiffany Boiselle spoke to RadioTimes.com about their experiences filming one of the most popular Christmas romcoms of all-time.
Despite arriving in cinemas more than 20 years ago, Love Actually remains one of the biggest Christmas films (both in popularity and box office numbers) to date. From Hugh Grant's No 10 dance number that he secretly hated filming, to Emma Thompson wiping away tears over Alan Rickman's infidelity, to the stirring sound of Joni Mitchell, it was the Richard Curtis comedy's star-studded cast that initially drew in audiences – and the same big names have kept them talking for two decades. However, as much as Love Actually is all about Keira "I Look Quite Pretty" Knightley, turtleneck king Colin Firth and a consistently semi-naked Billy Nighy, a lot of it actually revolves around children. Whether they're the crustaceans in the school nativity, singing in the concert crashed by the prime minister, or Liam Neeson's stepson who learns the drums to impress his American crush, the Christmas flick features a number of young actors. Back in 2022, three of Love Actually's child stars sat down with RadioTimes.com to chat about the BAFTA-winning festive film all those years later. "When people find out that I was in [Love Actually], the first thing they say is, 'Are you the octopus?' and I go, 'No.' And then they say, 'Are you the lobster?' And I go, 'No,'" says Will Wadham, who played Bernie – the son of Harry (Rickman) and Karen (Thompson). "They just can't quite work out what my part was and then at that stage, I have to explain, 'Well, a lot of it was deleted – but you can see me for a split second under the Christmas tree, or dressed as an angel, I think.'" While the role of Harry and Karen's youngest son Bernie is fairly minor in the film, Wadham – who is now in his thirties and was pursuing a career in film composition at the time of the interview – was originally meant to be the focus of a wider narrative linked to his parents' strained relationship. "I had to be a grumpy teenager which is basically what I was – I guess I didn't struggle too much with that," he says. "There was a whole character to Bernie. He has this moment with his mum where he's written these stupid essays about seeing people's farts because I think he's trying to get the attention of his parents. View Green Video on the source website "He gets in trouble with the headmistress at the school and [Thompson's character] is summoned to the office and sits with him and there's the scene where they read out his essay and instead of scolding him afterwards she says, 'I think it's absolutely brilliant.'" Although the scenes were left on the cutting room floor ("I can completely see why"), Curtis did send Wadham a letter to say sorry. "They were just incredibly apologetic and sweet. They didn't have to do that." Wadham landed the part of Bernie after the casting director for PJ Hogan's Peter Pan visited his school. While he was originally cast as one of the Lost Boys, he was unable to travel to Australia, where the shooting for the film would take place. "I was 11 and doing my common entrance exams and obviously, I was desperate to go but my parents were having none of it. But then the casting director sweetly said, 'Well, there's a final call for a Richard Curtis film and they're looking for the part of Bernie. Do you want to go up for that instead?' I did an audition with Richard and he gave me the job." It was a similar process for Olivia Olson, who played Joanna – the American girl in a crochet beanie who gives Mariah Carey a run for her money towards the end of the film. "Love Actually actually was the first role I ever went out for," she tells RadioTimes.com. "I had just signed with my first agent and this was my first big audition. You hardly ever get lucky like that! My parents weren't sure about the whole showbiz thing, so landing a movie on my first try definitely changed their minds." The audition process went on for several months for Olson, who has gone on to become a successful voice actor with roles on Adventure Time and Phineas and Ferb. She decided to sing Alicia Keys's Fallin' at the audition; unfortunately, so did the three other girls in front of her. "You could hear the other girls singing through the wall [at the open casting] and the three girls in front of me all sang the same song!" The final five girls in the running were flown out to New York, where they read for Curtis and producer Duncan Kenworthy, however, Olson's mum received the good news as they boarded the plane back to LA. "She had to keep quiet as some of the other girls were sitting next to us on the flight. She told me I landed the role in baggage claim. I like to think that's a sweet parallel to the movie plot." While the climactic musical scene, in which Joanna performs, All I Want for Christmas Is You at a school concert, took two days to shoot, filming in London was "like a dream". "Most of my memories from around that age all circle around Love Actually. First time out of the country, first time on a set, in a recording studio, etc," she says. "We recorded the song at Abbey Road Studios, which my Dad was flipping out over." The actor even recorded an extra song for the film, a rendition of The Pointer Sisters' Jump, but it didn't feature in the end. "I think they weren't sure if they'd get clearance of Jump – the infamous Hugh dancing scene – so there's a version I recorded floating somewhere out there in the ether." While her experience on Love Actually was overall positive, Olson remembers a few "awkward" moments as well, particularly the scene in which the adorably precocious Sam (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) catches up with Joanna at Heathrow Airport. "What sticks out is having Billy Mack's guitar strip tease scene blasted across 10 screens in the background while I'm anxiously anticipating my first kiss." As for one of the youngest actors in the film, there's not a huge amount Tiffany Boisselle can remember from filming her scene as the little girl in a feather boa on Harris Street. Although she can recall meeting her scene partner Hugh Grant – and having no clue how famous he was. "My nan always says obviously I had no idea who Hugh Grant was, it just completely went over me. All the adults when we filmed the scene with Hugh Grant were starstruck, like, 'Oh, wow – there he is!' And all of us kids were like, 'It's just a normal person.'" Boisselle auditioned for Love Actually when she was six and while she played an unnamed character, fans will remember her as one-third of the tiny tot trio who convince Grant to sing on their doorstep. "We had to come back another day to record the sound in a studio and I remember I was wearing a really trendy outfit that day because you had to look amazing," she says. "We all got to watch a little preview of our scene, which is really cool, but obviously in the scene straight after, Martine McCutcheon says a swear. They had to warn our parents and be like, 'She's going to swear after this scene – are you all OK with that?'" Although many of Wadham's scenes were cut, he filmed a lot with his on-screen parents, Thompson and Rickman, and "couldn't have asked to spend time with nicer, warmer, more lovely people". Unsurprisingly, Thompson was "really sweet" on set – "it was so nice to have someone effectively hold my hand through it" – although, she wasn't the biggest fan of his mum's cooking. "We were sat in the corridor outside the headmaster's office that we'd done the scene in and she started asking me about myself, what life was like at home. "I told her, 'My mum's quite a good cook,' and she asked, 'What's your favourite thing that she cooks for you.' I proceeded to describe this vegetarian lasagne that's made with grated carrot rather than mince. She said, 'That sounds rather disgusting.'" Outside of filming, Wadham would join Brodie-Sangster in Liam Neeson's trailer ("he was very kind of father-like and fun") to play cards – something the two child actors remembered when reuniting in South London a few years ago. "By the most incredible coincidence, just after I moved (to Camberwell), I was leaving my front door and suddenly saw Tom Brodie-Sangster. He was in the middle of my road. Eventually, I realised he lived two doors down." While the composer didn't initially say anything to Brodie-Sangster, who went on to star in The Queen's Gambit and The Maze Runner, he did eventually get in touch. "I said, 'You probably don't remember me but how are you? Do you remember all those years ago?' And he said, 'Oh my God, I do because there was one stage where we became friends on set.'" Wadham wasn't the only Love Actually star to catch up with Brodie-Sangster, with Olson co-starring with the 32-year-old on the Disney cartoon Phineas and Ferb. "It was such a weird coincidence to both be cast on P&F. We only ever got a chance to speak over the studio intercom about it, seeing as he recorded in London and I in Los Angeles. "The writers had their fun with that parallel and I think it's really sweet that in the end, Sam/Ferb got the girl!" On 16th November 2003, Martine McCutcheon, Colin Firth, Laura Linney and a host of the film's stars descended on the red carpet at The Odeon Leicester Square and while Wadham got to attend, Boiselle missed out. "My family went but I couldn't because I was too young to watch it," she says. "I never got to go and see the premiere but my family went and apparently when it came on my scene and I said my line, everyone was like, 'Aww' in the theatre so that's cute." Unfortunately, as the credits rolled, they realised that the six-year-old was listed as 'Tiffany Boysell' instead of 'Tiffany Boiselle' in the credits. "I don't know if you noticed this but they actually spelt my surname wrong in the movie, which is so bizarre." Meanwhile, Wadham showed up on the red carpet in a leather jacket borrowed from his mum's godson. "I got out of the car and I suddenly heard people screaming, 'Will!' and I thought, 'What on earth? Who knows who I am?' I didn't even have a signature at the time. I just sort of went over and scribbled on some paper, I can't even remember." As for life afterwards, the young actor was surprised to learn that he'd picked up some international fans. "I got a letter from a boy in Japan at one stage. It's so crazy how high-profile these things are and how widely shown they are. It's very hard to get used to and I just had a very little taste of it really." Returning to school was "strange and surreal" for Olson, who attended the film's New York premiere. "I suddenly had a lot of attention on me I wasn't prepared for. Mostly positive, like in my career, but definitely some negative from classmates making me an easy target for a laugh." Despite the major role, she's rarely recognised for playing Joanna – aka 'the coolest girl in school and everyone worships her because she's heaven' – however the experience gave her the confidence to pursue her dreams. "My power has always been my voice so falling into voice-over and being a part of iconic cartoons where I get to use not only my singing voice but written as well has been extremely rewarding," she says. "I'm still releasing my own music and am developing an original animated series I can't wait to share more about soon!" However, for Boiselle – who'd previously filmed 2002's Crime and Punishment in Russia and went to Jackie Palmer stage school – her classmates weren't too bothered about the festive romcom. "I think it was just like a cool little fact. All my classmates were just used to me leaving school and doing shows and then coming back a week later because I was always out of school auditioning," she adds. "I think the teachers were probably more impressed than my classmates, to be honest." After Love Actually, the Oxfordshire-based performer continued down the entertainment route and went on to study musical theatre. "I've going to film a short film in January 2023, which I know is going to be pitched to BBC and ITV and all of that, so that's cool. I think [Love Actually] just sort of pushed me in the direction that I'm in now." The only person not to pursue acting was Wadham, who says his heart ultimately wasn't in it. "I had a few auditions, none of which I got and I felt that the writing was on the wall there. I think one of the roles I went up for was Master and Commander. There's the blonde kid who has his arm blown up." At the time interview, he was studying a Master's Degree in Electronic and Computer Music at Guildhall and wants to be a film composer. "I've written for documentary and short film and a lot of advertising but my attachment to film is still strong in the sense that I want to write for film." With Wadham finishing off his Master's portfolio and his album, Fragments of Memory, has he thought about offering to score Curtis's next film? "Sure, I mean why not? I hadn't even thought of that, stupidly." As for Olson and Boiselle, they'd both be up for returning to the world of Love Actually for a long-awaited sequel (if you don't count the one-off Red Nose Day special) – however, Olson has one request. "Richard if you’re reading this. NO MORE SILLY HATS!" Read more: Love Actually soundtrack: Every song featured in the Christmas classic Love Factually: 46 things you may not know about the Christmas classic Love Actually is available to rent or buy now. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.