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 television is so brilliant.
For others, sitting around to watch the TV is an important part of Christmas itself.
No matter what your situation is, there’s some cracking things to watch on Christmas Day and Boxing 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, just like we did last year, we have once again 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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Call The Midwife
BBC One
Christmas Day – 7:55pm
Call The Midwife / Credit: BBC
Beloved BBC drama Call The Midwife is a show that’s become very well-known for its Christmas specials over the years – and 2022 is absolutely no different.
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In this upcoming festive special, as the midwives of Nonnatus House return to our screens to deliver another round of December babies, we’ll get to see the return of Rhoda Mullucks, whose baby was born with birth defects after Dr Turner prescribed her medication – a season 6 plot that tackled the Thalidomide scandal.
You can catch Call The Midwife on BBC One at 7:55pm on Christmas Day.
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Strictly Come Dancing
BBC One
Christmas Day – 5:10pm
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Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special / Credit: BBC
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 Larry Lamb, Rosie Ramsey, Nicola Roberts, Rickie Haywood-Williams, Alexandra Mardell, and George Webster taking to the floor to impress judges the judges and battle it out for the Christmas glitter ball trophy.
The contestants will also be performing a group routine alongside the professional dancers, and there’ll be some merry musical performances from special guests too.
You can catch Strictly Come Dancing on BBC One at 5:10pm on Christmas Day.
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Ant and Dec’s Christmas Limitless Win
ITV1
Christmas Day – 9:05pm
Ant and Dec’s Christmas Limitless Win / Credit: ITV
Everyone’s favourite TV duo Ant and Dec are back on our screens once again this Christmas Day
This time, with another festive special of their nail-biting game show Limitless Win – with a handful of famous faces all trying their best to climb up the endless money ladder in the hopes of raising funds for some really worthy causes.
Comics Katherine Ryan and Jimmy Carr will be on one team, and will be competing against TV regulars Rylan Clark and David Walliams as they take on the bigger-than-ever money ladder in this tense and nerve-wracking episode.
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You can see Ant and Dec’s Christmas Limitless Win on ITV1 at 9:05pm on Christmas Day.
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The Greatest Snowman
Channel 4
Boxing Day – 7:30pm
The Greatest Snowman / Credit: Channel 4
The Greatest Snowman is back.
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After what was a successful first run last year, Sue Perkins is back hosting another festive special of Channel 4’s snowman-building competition, and fresh from his victory as a contestant in 2021, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen is also returning to judge other celebrity competitors’ creations, and offer them some artistic tips and advice.
Joined on the judging panel by Swedish sculpting sisters Sara and Emilie Steele, and renowned British sculptor Taslim Martin, this year’s contestants are reality star Gemma “The GC” Collins, choirmaster Gareth Malone, Inbetweeners star Joe Thomas, and DJ Yinka Bokinni.
You can watch The Greatest Snowman on Channel 4 at 7:30pm on Boxing Day.
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The Big Fat Quiz of the Year 2022
Channel 4
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Boxing Day – 9pm
The Big Fat Quiz of the Year 2022 / Credit: Channel 4
What’s the festive season without The Big Fat Quiz of the Year?
It’s fair to say that 2022 has been quite the year, with the country seeing three prime ministers, two monarchs, a Platinum Jubilee, a State Funeral, and a nation divided over whether Harry Styles actually did spit on Chris Pine or not – but now, Jimmy Carr is back to test how much we actually remember from it all.
The comedian will be joined by Stephen Merchant, Katherine Ryan, Richard Ayoade, Maisie Adam, Jonathan Ross and Rose Matafeo as they take on the ultimate pub quiz that’s always a firm-favourite in households nationwide.
You can watch The Big Fat Quiz of the Year 2022 on Channel 4 at 9pm on Boxing Day.
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Fancy something extra?
Prince Andrew: The Musical
Channel 4
29 December – 9pm
Prince Andrew: The Musical / Credit: Channel 4
Okay, so while this isn’t airing on either Christmas Day or Boxing Day, some things are just too good to exclude off the list because, as bizarre as it sounds, a musical about the life and times of Prince Andrew is hitting our screens.
We may not have asked for it, and we definitely didn’t see it coming, but the simply-named, Prince Andrew: The Musical, has actually become a reality.
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Written by and starring Kieran Hodgson as Prince Andrew himself, with original music co-written by Freddie Tapner, the one-hour comedy special sees a cast of upcoming comics perform a “satirical send-up of the life and times of Prince Andrew” set to a musical score – with a story centring on the key events, relationships, and controversies of his life.
You can watch Prince Andrew: The Musical on Channel 4 at 9pm on Wednesday 29 December.
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Featured Image – Channel 4 & BBC
TV & Showbiz
Aitch’s brief statement as Moston rapper heads into the I’m A Celebrity jungle
Daisy Jackson
Manchester rapper Aitch is officially taking party in this year’s series of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here.
The rumoured line-up had been swirling for days as stars were spotted touching down in Australia ahead of the ITV series restarting for 2025.
And now I’m A Celebrity has officially revealed its line-up, which includes MOBO and Brit Award-winning Aitch, Ruby Wax, Martin Kemp, and Jack Osbourne, to name a few.
Aitch has said on his final post on Instagram before he disappears into the Australian bush that he’s ’bout to go f*ck up the jungle the Manchester way’.
He wrote: “I’ve made songs with most people I grew up listening to, now I’m going on the show I grew up watching.
“Mam this one’s for you. bout to go f*ck up the jungle the Manchester way. Cinnabit.”
Aitch, real name Harrison Armstong, hopes to raise awareness about Down Syndrome while he has the platform of the I’m A Celebrity camp – a genetic disorder his beloved sister Gracie has.
He said: “I feel like I have got this calling to raise awareness for Down syndrome and I feel that’s the perfect place.
“Also, you don’t always want to be stuck in the same world forever. You can branch out and do other things. You don’t have to stick to the code (rap world), because you think that’s cool.
“I did have to cancel some gigs for it. But you are never going to branch out if you do the same thing all the time.”
Joining Aitch in the I’m A Celebrity jungle will be presenter, author and comedian Ruby Wax, who wants the public to see that she’s not as ‘aggressive and pushy’ as her TV persona sometimes seems.
The full I’m A Celebrity 2025 line-up, including Manchester rapper Aitch. Credit: ITV
Also heading in will be Martin Kemp, whose presenter son Roman finished in third place on a previous series.
Martin said: “I’ve had to cancel some jobs, but when Roman was on I’m A Celebrity, I was addicted. I watched it every day and enjoyed it so much. I felt it was now time in my life for an adventure.”
DJ and model Kelly Brook said that she has surprised herself in several ways since being with her husband, including starring on Race Across The World and running the London marathon – now it’s time to see if she can be queen of the jungle.
Jack Osbourne, son of the late, great Ozzy Osbourne, will be starring on I’m A Celebrity and said the hardest thing for him will be being away fro his ‘lots of kids, my wife, and my family still int he wake of my dad passing’.
Also on this year’s I’m A Celeb line-up is former Lionness Alex Scott MBE, who said her partner Jess Glynne thinks she’s ‘absolutely mental’ for signing up for the reality show.
Social media sensation Angry Ginge will be appearing in the Australian jungle this year, saying he’s interested to see how he’ll cope without a phone, having only ever spent a week away from it before.
Joining him is Eastenders star and West End actor Shona McGarty, who is a ‘massive fan’ of the show and is excited for audiences to see what she’s like when she’s ‘completely myself’.
Comedian and radio host Eddie Kadi says he’s been prepping for his stint in the I’m A Celebrity jungle by doing intermittent fasting, but doesn’t know ‘how he will survive’ without flavour.
The final campmate joining Aitch in the I’m A Celebrity jungle is Emmerdale’s Lisa Riley, who finally said yes to ITV ahead of her milestone 50th birthday next year.
I’m A Celebrity starts Sunday at 9pm on ITV1, ITVX, STV & STV Player.
The full I’m A Celebrity 2025 line-up
Aitch – Rapper
Ruby Wax OBE – Presenter, author and comedian
Martin Kemp – Actor and pop star
Kelly Brook – DJ and model
Jack Osbourne – TV Personality
Alex Scott MBE – Sports broadcaster and former Lioness
We’ve got a new favourite TV show: Erling Haaland’s YouTube channel
Danny Jones
In a world packed with so many different streaming platforms that it can be hard to keep track of which new phenomenon is on what, or even what subscriptions you have, we’re glad to inform you that there’s a new show you can watch for free in the form of Erling Haaland’s YouTube channel.
No, seriously: now Traitors is over, it might just be our latest obsession.
First and foremost, it’s worth noting that in a climate of largely media-trained professional athletes, we always find characters like Erling Haaland refreshing – primarily because he’s an unapologetic but still inoffensive footballer who pretty much does and says whatever he wants, both on the pitch and off.
Including (judging just off the first two episodes alone) cooking and eating steak in the Manchester rain, dressing up like the Joker, talking about how much he loves milk, and chasing his childhood sweetheart through his rather large home.
Ironically, this isn’t technically his debut as a so-called ‘influencer’, having previously released self-made videos of him rapping as ateenager. Yes, it exists.
Nevertheless, now with a proper camera crew behind him and in a much more content-rich stage in his life as one of the most famous sporting personalities on the planet.
Haaland has gone from not only one of the most exciting young players on the planet, to developing an even bigger celebrity profile since arriving in Manchester and the Premier League at large, becoming a persona-led brand in his own right.
The 25-year-old son of former Blue, Alf-Inge Haaland, was always going to be a popular figure among City supporters, but it says quite a lot that other football fans, even from rival clubs, find it hard to find him anything other than personable, funny and fascinating at times.
You only have to look at the reactions to his conveniently timed Halloween episode, where he dressed up as a famous Batman villain and went around Manchester ‘in disguise’. If you can’t spot the big blonde Norwegian number nine in a crowd, then you’re probably too late for Specsavers, to be honest.
You haven’t lived until you’ve seen Haaland as the Joker doing kick-ups – so head to his YouTube and tick that off now.
We’re not entirely sure what motivated him to kickstart these high-production value videos now, but we’re not complaining; already, it’s given us more laughs, whether intentional or not, than most run-of-the-mill sitcoms.
It goes without saying that we can’t wait to see what he drums up after the big win against Liverpool, in which he delivered yet again, netting his 14th goal in just 11 Premier League appearances this season.
We particularly enjoyed how he chose to celebrate scoring against his former club, Borussia Dortmund, in the Champions League this month: by heading to Chinatown, seemingly for not only some Pho Cue but for a special late-night trip to Fat Pats, too.
For now, until we get the next instalment of our new and hopefully regularly scheduled Haaland YouTube programming, please enjoy that video of him spitting bars as a teen…
Bodo/Glimt's Erik Botheim dismantled AS Roma with couple of goals and three assists.
Emily Sergeant -
21st December 2022 
