It’s QI-stmas! Everything You Need To Know About The QI Christmas Special

Not actual official images.

QI-stmas is officially the best portmanteau in the history of British television!

The QI Christmas special is without question one of the most brilliantly entertaining and surprising festive programmes on the BBC every single year.

Whether you are a devoted QI fan who never misses an episode or someone who stumbles across it on BBC Two on Christmas night and cannot stop watching, this is your complete guide to everything QI at Christmas.

When Is The QI Christmas Special 2026?

The QI Christmas special typically airs on BBC Two between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day, and it is always one of the most anticipated programmes of the season.

Sandi Toksvig and Alan Davies will be back alongside a brilliant panel of guest comedians for what promises to be another evening of extraordinary facts.

We will update this section the moment BBC Two announces the official 2026 broadcast date and time – bookmark this page and check back in November!

What Makes The QI Christmas Special So Brilliant

The QI format is perfectly suited to Christmas, a programme entirely built around surprising, interesting and frequently hilarious facts about the world.

Nobody leaves a QI Christmas special without knowing at least three things they absolutely did not know before they sat down.

Created by John Lloyd and currently presented by Sandi Toksvig with permanent panellist Alan Davies, QI has been quietly one of the most loved programmes on British television since it first aired in 2003.

The Most Fascinating QI Christmas Facts You Never Knew

In the true spirit of QI – here are some Christmas facts that will absolutely stop you in your tracks:

• – The first Christmas card was sent in 1843 – the same year Charles Dickens published A Christmas Carol.
• Two of the most important moments in British Christmas history happening in the same year are not a coincidence; both reflected a society actively rediscovering the festive season.

Santa’s red suit was not invented by Coca-Cola – the red-suited Father Christmas appeared in British illustrations long before the famous 1930s advertising campaign. Coca-Cola simply made him more famous.

Christmas crackers were invented in London in 1847 – sweet maker Tom Smith was inspired by French bon-bons wrapped in paper and added a snap mechanism after staring into a fire one evening.

👉 Love Christmas facts? Head to our Bygone Christmases 1930s for more fascinating festive history from every decade!

Where To Watch QI Christmas Specials

Every QI Christmas special is available to watch on BBC iPlayer, making it easy to catch up on any episodes you might have missed over the years.

BBC Two typically airs the Christmas special in the early evening, making it perfect pre or post-Christmas dinner viewing.

For those who prefer to own their favourite episodes outright, QI series box sets and compilation DVDs are available on Amazon.

🔗 Shop QI Series Box Set Here

QI-stmas comes but once a year – and it is always worth every single second.

Whether you watch it live on BBC Two, settle in with BBC iPlayer or simply read our Christmas facts section and pretend you knew them all along, we hope this guide brings a little extra brilliance to your festive season.

Please note that once dates and times are confirmed, we will update this page.