Why is there no Doctor Who Christmas special in 2025 and when is the next one?

Doctor Who fans are going to have to wait a while longer for a festive treat from the Doctor, with no Christmas special this year – but there will be one in 2026.

The 2026 Christmas special will come after Ncuti Gatwa departed the TARDIS in The Reality War, with the Fifteenth Doctor regenerating a new incarnation, played by returning Who legend Billie Piper.

It will also be the first episode of Doctor Who after the end of the deal with Disney, which has stood for the past two seasons and for spin-off The War Between the Land and the Sea.

While plot details are thin on the ground about the Christmas special, already some tidbits are emerging about what's set to come from the highly-anticipated new instalment. Here's what we know so far!

Why is there no 2025 Doctor Who Christmas special?

There hasn't been an official reason given, but there are a few factors at play.

It seems that there's no 2025 Christmas special because the deal with Disney only covered 26 episodes, which were split between two seasons and a five-episode spin-off, leaving no room for a 2025 Christmas special.

A 2025 Christmas special also would have aired very close to the spin-off The War Between the Land and the Sea, which is being released weekly across December 2025 – and it seems likely that the BBC want viewers to focus on that for now.

We don't know for sure when the deal with Disney ended, the BBC announced the news at the end of October 2025, which wouldn't have left much time at all for a Christmas special to be filmed for this year.

When will the next Doctor Who Christmas special be?

While nothing has been confirmed, of course we'd assume the 2026 will be released on 25th December 2026.

The Doctor Who Christmas special usually airs in the early evening slot on BBC One.

However, we may be getting ahead of ourselves, as showrunner Davies has revealed he hasn't actually started writing yet.

Asked whether he's begun the process, he told RadioTimes.com: "Not at the moment because I'm busy on [The War Between the Land and the Sea]. I'm also shooting a show in Manchester, so next year my plate clears and we'll get to work on that."

While he's keeping quiet on the details of the special, Davies also confirmed he's got the plot all worked out, saying: "I know exactly what happens in it, don't worry about that."

What could the 2026 Doctor Who Christmas special be about?

While nothing has been confirmed about the 2026 special, Davies teased that plot details have been shared with BBC bosses – and apparently what's to come left them "with jaws agape, loving it".

Davies also recently shared a few cryptic clues with Doctor Who Magazine, writing in his latest column that the Christmas 2026 episode will feature the words "Bafflers" "Winternox" and "village".

Presumably, Piper will return for the Christmas special and we'll learn a bit more about what happened with that surprising regeneration twist. But of course, anything could happen in the Whoniverse.

Doctor Who is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

Add Doctor Who 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 Sci-fi 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.