In what is a combination that virtually no one asked for, Walkers has decided to launch Christmas pudding-flavoured crisps.
And, as you’d probably expect, public reaction to the release has been mixed.
We all know the legendary crisp manufacturers are certainly no strangers to bringing out some weird and wonderful concoctions and collaborations – with Marmite, spicy tomato ketchup, chicken tikka masala, fish and chips, and steak and ale pie being just some of the foods turned into crisp form by the company over the years.
The company is also known to have brought out quite a few other inventive, and occasionally bizarre, festive flavours in the past too, including Brussels sprouts, glazed ham, and turkey and stuffing.
But while other limited-edition Walkers flavours have been known to see shoppers flocking to their nearest supermarket to stock up before they sell out, somehow, we don’t think that’ll be the case this time round.
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Walkers has launched new Christmas Pudding-flavoured crisps / Credit: The Manc Group | Pikist
Three new festive flavours of Walkers’ original crisps have been launched ready for Christmas this year, and, in true middle aisle style, you can currently get your hands on multipacks of them for £1.65 on ‘Specialbuys’ offer from your nearest Aldi.
The Pigs in Blankets, and Festive Turkey varieties seem to have suitably satisfied crisp connoisseurs, but the same definitely can’t be said for the Christmas Pudding flavour, as many are already turning their noses up at it, and a few are questioning what Walkers is playing at by even considering the flavour in the first place.
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Some shoppers on social media have been crying “hell no”, and one crisp fan has even aptly asked “Is someone taking the p**s?”.
After the news of the new crisps dropped on all the usual food-spotting blogs and Instagram pages, such as @NewFoodsUK, @UKnewestfoods, @bigdaddybsfoods, and UK’s Latest Bargains, reactions to the Christmas Pudding flavour in particular started coming in thick and fast.
“Hell NO,” one person in the comments addressing the Christmas Pudding flavour directly, while another wrote: “Christmas pudding is disgusting… why would they make crisps with that taste?”, and a third questioned: “Christmas pudding? Is someone taking the p**s?”.
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A few others admitted they are currently “unsure how I feel” about the flavour, and will probably need to try them out before giving their verdict rather than jumping to conclusions.
Not everyone was displeased though, as one pleasantly-surprised shopper wrote in reaction on Instagram: “I tried the Christmas pudding ones today just to be curious, and honestly they are nice – they taste of Carmel and cinnamon.”
“They’re actually kinda good,” another concluded.
Featured Image – The Manc Group
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Boyzone to reunite for exclusive New Year’s Eve special on the BBC
Danny Jones
2025 has very much been the year of the comeback – be it Oasis, Britpop fashion in general, or short bobs and pixie cuts – so it’s only fitting that we round off the calendar with one last reunion, as throwback boyband Boyzone are set to feature on a TV special on the BBC this New Year’s Eve.
Turns out ‘All That I Need’ to make a year memorable is a load of 1990s nostalgia.
Now, obviously, despite plenty of other music names enjoying a second renaissance over the past 12 months or so, nothing is ever going to be quite as big as the Oasis Live ’25 reunion tour.
However, if you asked us to guess which group from the era were also going to reunite this year back in January, there’s not a chance we would’ve said Boyzone.
Boyzone are telling us about coming back together for one final run in their most unforgettable concerts yet 🎤
After news first began circulating earlier this week, it has now been confirmed that musician turned presenter Ronan Keating will be getting back together with two of his former bandmates.
Joining the 48-year-old for ‘Ronan & Friends: A New Year’s Eve Party’, ex-Boyzone members Keith Duffy and Shane Lynch are part of an exciting live music lineup.
Other names include actor and singer, Shona McGarty, who recently starred on season 25 of I’m A Celeb, as well as fellow 90s pop artist Louise Redknapp and singer-songwriter Calum Scott.
The exclusive reunion comes after the success of the recently aired Boyzone: No Matter What documentary show.
Spread across three parts on Sky, the docuseries (named after their hit song from 1998) looks back on the career and journey up the charts back in their heyday, all the way up to the present. After seemingly striking a chord with fans and the lads themselves, it looks like they’re not done after all…
Yes, not only is the festive TV special going to see three of the original members performing alongside each other again, but
Here’s hoping that turns into a springboard for something even bigger, and we get a Manchester arena show sometime soon.
As for the programme itself, ‘Ronan & Friends: A New Year’s Eve Party’ will be broadcast on BBC One and made available on BBC iPlayer from Wednesday, 31 December 2025.
One in 10 Brits are fired or disciplined after their work’s Christmas party, new survey finds
Emily Sergeant
We’re in peak office Christmas party season right now.
With just a week to go until the big day itself is here, many businesses across the UK are treating their staff to night out to celebrate both the festive season and all of the hard work they have been putting in throughout the year… and as you can expect, these are usually quite eventful gatherings, shall we say.
But now, a survey by has shed light on just how ‘eventful’ they actually are, as a new survey has revealed that, apparently, one in ten Brits face some sort of disciplinary action or dismissal due to their behaviour at Christmas parties.
The study was conducted by After Drink, and included more than 2,000 participants.
During the research, it was highlighted that 89% of employees admitted to drinking alcohol at these events, Lad Bible reports – with 65% of these confessing that they drank “excessively”.
One in 10 Brits get fired or disciplined after their work’s Christmas party / Credit: Kraken Images | Mimi Thian (via Unsplash)
There are a multitude of incidents which could lead to disciplinary action in the workplace nowadays, but according to the survey, some of the common reasons following festive celebrations with colleagues included inappropriate comments (23%) and even getting into fights (21%).
16% of these incidents were because of drug use during the event, while inappropriate interactions with colleagues accounted for 14%.
Some of the legal reasons you can be fired from your place of work after a Christmas party include gross misconduct, drunken behaviour, and fighting of any kind.
Despite all these risks, however, Christmas parties still remain as popular as always, and a whopping 79% of respondents said they are planning to attend theirs this year.
Emily Sergeant -
20th October 2023 
