BBC announces ‘Mariah Meets Rylan’ Christmas special

Filmed on location in Los Angeles, the multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning Mariah Carey sits down with Rylan for a captivating first meeting. Rylan quizzes Mariah about her life, music, and, of course, the holiday season, as her iconic hit All I Want for Christmas Is You marks its 30th anniversary.

In this in-depth interview, Mariah opens up about how she crafted the melody for her smash hit Hero, the various jobs she held before her rise to fame, and her fond memories of performing on Top of the Pops. She also reflects on her musical inspirations—Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, and George Michael—along with her collaborations with Jackie Chan and Westlife. Mariah shares her thoughts on the milestone of celebrating the 30th anniversary of both All I Want for Christmas Is You and her Merry Christmas album.

And in a playful twist, Rylan puts Mariah’s English accent to the test, pretending to audition her for a role in BBC’s long-running drama EastEnders.

To mark the occasion, BBC Two will air an evening of special programming, including a newly extended version of Mariah Carey at the BBC.

Rylan, who presents a weekly Saturday afternoon show on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds (3-6pm) says: “All my Christmases came at once this year when I got to sit down and interview none other than the Queen of Christmas! They say don’t meet your heroes, but Mariah was everything and more. I can’t wait for you all to see it.”

Jonathan Rothery, Head of Popular Music TV, BBC, says: “Following the success of Cher Meets Rylan in December 2023, it’s a pleasure to be able to bring viewers another fantastically entertaining hour of Rylan in conversation with another music icon – Mariah Carey, in celebration of 30 years since her Christmas hit was released.”

BBC has also announced Call the Midwife two-part Christmas special and a star-studded cast for Tiddler.