BBC Christmas 2025: Festive TV Highlights Revealed

BBC Christmas 2025 schedule is here! From Michael McIntyre’s Christmas Wheel to Call the Midwife, discover the festive highlights you won’t want to miss this holiday season.

Entertainment this Christmas has never looked so festive as the BBC announces its festive line-up, promising laughter, drama and plenty of magic. From brand new shows to festive favourites, there’s something for everyone to unwrap.

Our top picks from the BBC’s 2025 Christmas TV shows.

Christmas on the BBC wouldn’t shine without a Julia Donaldson classic – this year it’s The Scarecrows’ Wedding, a heartwarming tale of love and loyalty with an all-star voice cast including Rob Brydon and Jessie Buckley, taking to our screens.

Festive escapism is covered too – Tom Hiddleston returns in The Night Manager, while the Amandaland Christmas Special brings laughs with Jennifer Saunders joining the fun.

Then it’s all aboard the sleigh to Call the Midwife, back with two heartwarming Christmas episodes. Over in EastEnders, the past, present, and future come knocking in a festive reckoning. And pack your sunglasses – it’s time for Christmas in Paradise! Beyond Paradise is back with a festive special, too.

Strictly Come Dancing is back for a glitzy Christmas special – will Scarlett Moffatt, Melanie Blatt or Jodie Ounsley take the festive crown? Don’t miss Michael McIntyre’s Christmas Wheel, spinning seven more celebs into seasonal chaos.

Nature fans are treated to Wild London, a stunning new film from Sir David Attenborough exploring the city’s secret wildlife. Comedy sleighs in too – from Mammoth and The Mandy Who Knew Too Much to Two Doors Down, Here We Go, Shedites, Mrs Brown’s Boys and festive family adventure Stuffed in Lapland!

The most talked-about show of 2025 is back – The Traitors! Claudia Winkleman returns to the Scottish Highlands for a brand-new series full of twists, betrayals and mind games. And if the suspense isn’t enough, The Traitors at the Proms adds a dramatic musical twist with orchestral takes on iconic tunes from Britney’s Toxic to Billie Eilish’s Bad Guy.

The competition continues in The Celebrity Apprentice straight from snowy Lapland, where 12 famous faces face Lord Sugar for BBC Children in Need. Then it’s time to take on the arena in the Gladiators Celebrity Special, hosted by Bradley and Barney Walsh – with epic showdowns featuring Joe Wicks, Sam Thompson, Nicola Adams and Vogue Williams.

Festive gaming heat is on with quizzes galore – The Weakest Link, University Challenge, The Festive Finish Line, MasterChef and The Great British Sewing Bee all get a celebrity twist. Over at The Repair Shop, Dame Helen Mirren, Julia Donaldson and Rob Brydon bring their treasured items for Christmas magic. And to finish 2025 in style – enjoy Ronan Keating & Friends, Jools’ Hootenanny, and The Graham Norton Show to ring in the New Year with sparkle.

Need festive food inspo? Dame Mary Berry is serving up classics and fresh twists in A Mary Berry Christmas with celebrity guests and plenty of seasonal sparkle. As a sweet treat, Inside the Factory: Christmas Gingerbread Special sees Paddy McGuinness and Cherry Healey uncover the secrets of Britain’s favourite biscuit.

For a calmer Christmas, join Bob Mortimer, Paul Whitehouse and Ted the terrier in Gone Christmas Fishing across Devon and Cornwall, with visits from Dawn French and top chef Paul Ainsworth.

Then escape to the countryside with celebrity house-hunters in Celebrity Escape to the Country, and wrap up with My Life at Christmas featuring Anita Rani’s guests: Sir Rod Stewart, Baroness Floella Benjamin and Ade Adepitan.

Enjoy Christmas Treasures of the National Trust, Mark Gatiss’ new Ghost Story starring Dame Joanna Lumley, and the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures on life beyond Earth. Plus a classical Christmas concert from Snape Maltings.

Morning Live at Christmas offers tips to survive the season, and The One Show delivers a heartwarming One Big Thank You. Sport fans are treated to BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

Religious Show on the BBC this Christmas

This year brings a vibrant mix of religious programming, featuring live worship, uplifting carols, and spiritual reflection. Highlights include Midnight Mass from OLEM Church, Christmas Morning Service at Bradford Cathedral, and Carols From King’s, recorded in the candlelit chapel at King’s College, Cambridge. Plus, don’t miss The Archbishop of Canterbury Elect’s New Year’s Day Message.

Music lovers get Kiss Me, Kate, Biggest Night of Musicals, Top of the Pops and festive video hits. Families can cosy up with blockbuster movies, the CBeebies Panto, Christmas specials like Shaun the Sheep, Spidey, and Bump. On CBBC, The Famous Five return and Blue Peter’s Christmas Cracker goes behind the scenes of Strictly!

Families can cosy up, friends can celebrate together, and viewers can expect unforgettable moments. Festive joy for all viewers!!

We can’t wait!