One of the UK's most iconic gameshows is coming back for a one-off festive special later this year - that's right, Blankety Blank is back!

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Sure to be one of the picks on everyone's best Christmas TV lists, Bradley Walsh will present the fun and cheeky gameshow.

The iconic show originally started in 1979 with Sir Terry Wogan as the host with the most.

Since then, many of the UK's best-loved presenters have taken on the mantle, and Walsh is the latest in a long-line of popular hosts.

Read on for everything you need to know about Blankety Blank as it returns to BBC One.

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When is the Blankety Blank Christmas special on TV?

The Blankety Blank Christmas special will air on Christmas Day at 7pm on BBC One.

The cheeky quiz show will last for 40 minutes.

Blankety Blank Christmas special host

Bradley Walsh
Bradley Walsh

The BBC's 2020 Blankety Blank Christmas special will be hosted by actor and comedian Bradley Walsh. Currently the presenter of ITV's The Chase, Walsh is best known for acting in Coronation Street, Law & Order: UK, Doctor Who and for hosting a variety of game shows such as Wheel of Fortune, Odd One In and Cash Trapped.

Walsh will be the sixth presenter to host Blankety Blank, which was first fronted by Terry Wogan from 1979 until 1983 before being presenter by Les Dawson from 1984 until 1990, Paul O'Grady as his drag queen persona Lily Savage from 1997 to 1999 and Vernon Kay and David Walliams in subsequent one-off specials.

Blankety Blank Christmas line-up

The BBC has not yet announced which celebrities will be making an appearance on the Blankety Blank panel this Christmas, but we know there will definitely be six of them taking on the fill-in-the-blanks challenge.

The last two specials, which aired for Comic Relief in 2011 and during Christmas in 2016 respectively, featured celebrity panelists such as Barbara Windsor (EastEnders), David Tennant (Des), TV personality Stacey Solomon, comedian David Walliams, presenter George Lamb, ventriloquist Keith Harris and his puppet Orville, Coronation Street's Brooke Vincent, Birds of a Feather's Lesley Joseph, The X Factor's Louis Walsh, The Chuckle Brothers, presenter Anne Robinson and comedian Joe Lycett.

Who hosted Blankety Blank before?

The hosting list for Blankety Blank acts as who's who of classic entertainers. The show was first presented by Sir Terry Wogan, who fronted the quiz on BBC One between 1979 and 1983.

He was replaced by Les Dawson, who carried the show from 1984 until 1990.

Perhaps most famously, Paul O'Grady as Lily Savage turned it into the fun and cheeky show it is today. Lily presented on the BBC between 1997 and 1999. The show then moved over to ITV, where it became "Lily Savage's Blankety Blank" between 2001 and 2002.

David Walliams hosted a Christmas special on ITV in 2016, and now Bradley Walsh will take the famous microphone for the 2020 one-off.

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The Blankety Blank Christmas special will air on Christmas Day. Check out what else is on with our TV Guide, or take a look at our new TV shows 2020 page to find out what’s airing this autumn and beyond.

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