For a lot of us, if the run-up to Christmas wasn’t already busy enough as it is, there’s often not a moment to breathe on the big day itself between presents being opened, travelling to see people, entertaining guests, slaving over a hot stove for hours, and eating plenty of food.
Sometimes though, you may find yourself twiddling your thumbs with some time to spare, and that’s why the distraction of festive TV is so brilliant.
For others, sitting around to watch the TV is an important part of Christmas Day itself.
No matter what your situation is, there’s some cracking things to watch on Christmas Day this year – with classic seasonal films, to festive specials of our favourite shows, and a few family-friendly additions all on the agenda – so we’ve rounded-up the best of the bunch to create our TV guide.
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Here’s five of our picks.
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The Snowman & The Snowman and the Snowdog
Channel 4 – 3:55pm
The Snowman and the Snowdog / Credit: Channel 4 & Robin Shaw Illustrator
You can’t have one without the other.
Starting off this list with some classics that so many of us grew up with, and are perfect for all the family to take a break from the hustle and bustle of Christmas Day and sit down and watch.
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The Snowman (1982) tells the charming tale of how James – a young boy who wakes up one Christmas Eve morning to the heaviest snows he’s ever seen – rushes out to make a snowman, and then the magic begins. While the sequel, The Snowman and the Snowdog (2012) see a boy’s snowman and snowdog come to life at the stroke of midnight to take him on an adventure to the North Pole, before returning home – where a surprise awaits.
You can catch both The Snowman at 3:55pm, followed by The Snowman and the Snowdog at 4:30pm on Channel 4.
Strictly Come Dancing
BBC One – 5:10pm
Strictly Come Dancing / Credit: BBC & Guy Levy
We’ve all come to expect Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special at this point, haven’t we?
After the iconic ballroom dance competition programme has been bringing us smaller, festive editions of the show we all know and love since 2004, it’s back again this Christmas Day, with celebrity contestants Jay Blades, Fred Sirieix, Mel Giedroyc, Moira Stuart, Anne-Marie, and Adrian Chiles taking to the floor to impress judges the judges and battle it out for the Christmas glitter ball trophy.
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The contestants will also be performing a group routine alongside the professional dancers, and there will be musical performances from guests Jamie Cullum and Gary Barlow.
You can catch Strictly Come Dancing on BBC One at 5:10pm.
Call The Midwife
BBC One – 8pm
Call The Midwife / Credit: BBC iPlayer
Beloved BBC drama Call The Midwife is another show that’s become very well-known for its Christmas specials over the years – and 2021 is absolutely no different.
In this episode, the Christmas of 1966 promises to be a memorable one at Nonnatus House, as Lucille and Cyril prepare for their upcoming winter wedding, but the midwives are faced with their busiest Christmas Day ever, with the Maternity Home is filled with expectant mums to be, each with their own challenging case.
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You can catch Call The Midwife on BBC One at 8pm.
The Great British Bake Off
Channel 4 – 8pm
The Great British Bake Off / Credit: GBBO & Channel 4
The Great British Bake Off is once again back with a Christmas special for the big day.
Bringing all the drama and baking-related puns we’ve come to know and love from the original series over the years, but just with a little festive cheer, judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith, and hosts Matt Lucas and Noel Fielding invite the stars from the award-winning hit drama It’s a Sin to join them in the famous tent to celebrate Christmas.
Olly Alexander, Nathaniel Curtis, Lydia West, and Shaun Dooley will all be competing for the coveted ‘Christmas Star Baker’ title.
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You can catch The Great British Bake Off on Channel 4 and 8pm.
Love Actually
ITV – 10:40pm
Love Actually / Credit: Studio Canal
We couldn’t write this list up without including at least one Christmas film.
Although watching Christmas films throughout December in the lead-up to the big day to get into the spirit is often a big part of the festive season for many of us, there’s always room to watch a film one last time on Christmas Day – and this one couldn’t be on at a more perfect time for the grown-ups and hopeless romantics.
Love Actually (2003) is a Christmas-themed romantic comedy film featuring a star-studded cast that delves into different aspects of love as shown through ten separate stories involving people, who all end up being linked to each other as the tales progress.
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You can catch Love Actually on ITV at 10:40pm.
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Featured Image – BBC | Studio Canal
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You can get 25% off your bill when eating out at this well-known Italian restaurant with a secret code
Danny Jones
Fancy going out for tea but still trying not to spend too much money at this time of year? Well, Manchester, you can get 25% off your bill at an already affordable British restaurant chain by simply saying a special phrase.
This deal is only available this week, though, so we wouldn’t wait around.
We’ve all been there: you’re fed up of getting home after working and having to cook, so you start trying to justify ‘just one‘ night out, but it can be a real pull between enjoyment and ease versus trying to save those pennies – especially with the festive period looming.
Luckily, well-known Italian restaurant group Carluccio’s, who have a site right here in central Manchester, is offering a significant discount by simply asking for the bill in Italian. Simple as.
As a recognisable name on the UK high street, the authentic Italian eatery dates back nearly three and a half decades, the London-born deli and food shop going on to open its first-ever sit-down venue called Carluccio’s Caffè back in 1999.
In addition to their long-standing Manchester location in Piccadilly Station, the brand was also a shop-window establishment for the Trafford Centre, sitting front and centre as one of the first places to eat as you walked in the Orient entrance.
Now, as for how you access this welcome bit of money off your bill, it’s very straightforward and can be secured as fast as you can say “The bill, please”; well, actually, you need to ask for it in Italian, as it is this phrase that Carluccio’s has dubbed the ‘secret code’.
Following a study by language learning app, Preply, which recently carried out research into menu anxiety and struggling to make a decision when dining out, they’ve teamed up with Carluccio‘s to help push people to feel more confident ordering dishes not in their native tongue.
They found that almost half (49%) have felt embarrassed about not speaking another language, with one fifth of those surveyed lacking the confidence to try and pronounce foreign words, while one in six worried they’d be judged for getting it wrong.
Well, there’s no getting it wrong in this instance, as the Carluccio’s and Preply are giving you the specific keywords not only to ask for the bill in Italian – “Il conto, per favore” – but to unlock the bonus of a quarter off the final sum.
Anna Pyshna, spokesperson at Preply, says: “People may know how to say gnocchi in theory, but when the waiter’s standing there, confidence can vanish. We want to show that getting things wrong is part of learning and sometimes, even worth a discount.
“By turning a simple phrase into a real-world reward, we’re helping people take that first, brave step to speak up. It’s a reminder that the language learning process doesn’t start with perfection, it starts with the willingness to try.”
So, that really is it: dine at any of their restaurants across the country (including here in Manchester) and ask for the bill in Italian to get 25% off your bill; once again, the offer is only on until 9 November. You can find your nearest Carluccio’s location HERE.
Chester Zoo needs a new Zoo Ranger to patrol among rare giraffes, tigers, and more
Emily Sergeant
Looking for a career change? Well it surely doesn’t get better than this.
Chester Zoo is currently hiring for a new Zoo Ranger to join their team, and the new recruit will have the pleasure of working in a setting like no other – patrolling among rare giraffes and tigers, and within stunning gardens across a 128-acre estate.
The UK’s biggest charity zoo currently has a vacancy open for a Zoo Ranger, and according to the job description on its website, this is a ‘key role’ working as part of the Conservation Education and Engagement Team, and is one of the most central to visitors’ experiences at the zoo.
The team develop and deliver material to engage visitors with the zoo’s animal collection and worldwide conservation work through a range of diverse, fun, and exciting educational experiences.
For this permanent role, you will need to work 35 hours a week, operating on a two-week roster working every other weekend.
Chester Zoo needs a new Zoo Ranger to patrol among rare giraffes, tigers, and more / Credit: Chester Zoo
The successful applicant will be tasked with interacting with visitors of all ages – including children, families, and other audiences – in groups that could vary from just one individual up to a crowd of about 500, and they will be expected to deliver talks, table-top activities, play-based activities, and storytelling with mascots, puppets, and roleplay.
The ideal candidate will have a wide-ranging knowledge of the natural world, a creative mind, and have the ability to confidently deliver stories, shows, games, and other interactive engagement styles for visitors.
Good organisational and time management skills, the ability to work as part of a team, and excellent customer service skills are also needed.
In return, Chester Zoo offers an ‘excellent’ benefits package for this permanent role.
This includes access to a healthcare plan, 33 days paid holidays per year, a staff pass so that you can visit the zoo for free, and complimentary tickets for friends and family.
Due to the nature of the organisation and the role, this post is subject to a DBS check, and the closing date for applications is Sunday 9 November 2025.
Emily Sergeant -
23rd December 2021 
