Christmas is a hectic time, right? We all know that.
For some 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 Eve, 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 have done for the past couple of years, we've once again rounded-up the best of the bunch to create our TV guide.
Here’s just five of our picks.
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Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Christmas Fishing 2025
BBC Two
Christmas Eve - 9pm
Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Christmas Fishing 2025 / Credit: BBC
Bob and Paul (and terrier Ted too, of course) are back for another Gone Fishing Christmas Special, and this year, they're heading down to Devon and Cornwall for their festive treat.
The duo fish the stunning rivers Lyd and Camel in Devon, and even head out to sea in Cornwall on a traditional fishing boat.
There's also appearances by other famous faces Dawn French and Dr Anand Patel, and they're even welcomed into No6, Paul Ainsworth’s celebrated restaurant in the heart of Padstow, for some Michelin-starred fine festive dining.
You can watch Gone Christmas Fishing 2025 on BBC Two at 9pm on Christmas Eve.
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Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special 2025
BBC One
Christmas Day - 5:30pm
Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special 2025 / Credit: BBC
We’ve all come to expect a 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 once again this Christmas Day.
Six celebrity contestants will be taking to the floor to impress the judges and battle it out for the Christmas glitter ball trophy.
Gogglebox star Scarlett Moffatt, singer and cook Melanie Blatt, and Irish singer-songwriter Brian McFaddan are just some of the big names competing this year.
You can catch Strictly Come Dancing on BBC One at 3:55pm on Christmas Day.
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The Great Peep Show Christmas Bake Off
Channel 4
Christmas Day - 8pm
The Great Peep Show Christmas Bake Off / Credit: Channel 4
For the first time since Peep Show wrapped in 2015, fan favourites David Mitchell, Olivia Colman, Isy Suttie, Matt King, and Sophie Winkleman are reuniting on screen.
And this time, they’re donning festive jumpers and rolling up their sleeves to tackle a series of seasonal baking challenges.
Under the watchful eyes of judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood, and with plenty of mischief and charm from Bake Off hosts Noel Fielding and Alison Hammond, you can expect laughter and chaos in this Great Peep Show Christmas Bake Off special.
Watch The Great Peep Show Christmas Bake Off on Channel 4 at 8pm on Christmas Day.
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Amandaland Christmas Special
BBC One
Christmas Day - 9:15pm
Amandaland Christmas Special / Credit: Natalie Seery (BBC/Merman)
Massively-popular BBC sitcom Amandaland is back for a festive special on Christmas Day.
You'll get to see title character Amanda and her family head to Aunt Joan’s country house, but the plans change when Mal and Anne tag along and she struggles to recreate the magical Christmases she spent there as a child.
Anne’s in despair at being separated from her family, and Felicity is increasingly irritated by her sister’s constant high spirits. Meanwhile, Mal sees a hidden photo that seems to reveal a deep family secret.
You can catch the Amandaland Christmas Special on BBC One at 9:15pm on Christmas Day.
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Big Fat Quiz of the Year 2025
Channel 4
Boxing Day - 9pm
Big Fat Quiz of the Year 2025 / Credit: Brian J Ritchie (via Channel 4)
What's Christmas without a quiz? It's time to remember everything you've already forgotten from this past year, as the Jimmy Carr is back with the annual Big Fat Quiz of the Year for 2025, and a handful of famous faces will be put to the test.
This year, Jonathan Ross, Richard Ayoade, Katherine Ryan, Nick Mohammed, Roisin Conaty, and Lou Sanders all answer questions about Katy Perry, Lily Allen, and THAT Coldplay concert.
You can watch Big Fat Quiz of the Year on Channel 4 at 9pm on Boxing Day.
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Fancy a festive film?
As an added bonus, we thought we'd just round up all the Christmas films that are being shown on telly in the coming days, as there's nothing like sitting down to watch a festive flick to get you into the spirit of the season.
Nativity! - Monday 22 December at 2:20pm on BBC One
Bridget Jones's Diary - Monday 22 December at 10:10pm on BBC Three
Home Alone - Christmas Eve at 5:35pm on Channel 4
Love Actually - Christmas Eve at 9:10pm on ITV
When Harry Met Sally - Christmas Day at 11:35pm on BBC One
There's also just plenty of great films on in general, ones that aren't strictly Christmas films or set during the festive season like the ones mentioned in that list.
Here they are:
Mrs Doubtfire - Monday 22 December at 6:35pm on ITV2
Oppenheimer - Tuesday 23 December at 11pm on BBC Three
E.T - Christmas Eve at 1:35pm on ITV
Sister Act - Christmas Eve at 1:35pm on Channel 4
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - Christmas Eve at 2:55pm on BBC One
Paddington - Christmas Eve at 5:30pm on BBC One
The Devil Wears Prada - Christmas Day at 6:50pm on Film4
Jaws - Christmas Day at 9:15pm on BBC Two
Edward Scissorhands - Boxing Day at 6:55pm on ITV2
Four Weddings and a Funeral - Boxing Day at 10:15pm on BBC One
Elvis - Saturday 27 December at 7:45pm on BBC One
2001: A Space Odyssey - Sunday 28 December at 6:15pm on ITV4
The Godfather - Sunday 28 December at 10pm on BBC Two
Challengers - Sunday 28 December at 10pm on BBC Three
School of Rock - Monday 29 December at 6:45pm on ITV2
Pretty Woman - New Year’s Eve at 9pm on ITV1
The Sound of Music - New Year’s Day at 3:15pm on BBC One
Back To The Future (the whole trilogy) - New Year’s Day from 7:10pm on BBC Three
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Featured Image - BBC | Disney+ / 20th Century Studios (Press Images)
Art & Culture
Here’s everything you need to know about Light Night Leeds 2026
The time has come, Light Night Leeds is about to transform the city into a dazzling array of illuminated artworks.
And this year, for the first time in its history, the beloved, free light trail will take place during half term, making it more accessible than ever to families across West Yorkshire.
The streets will be filled with projections, immersive artworks, and light installations across two nights - Wednesday 28 and Thursday 29 October 2026.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Happily, that also means it will fall a week after the clocks have gone back, which means the full programme can benefit from the darker evenings and begin from 6pm.
So, if you're heading to Light Night - here's everything you need to know.
Theme
The theme for this year's Light Night will be centred around tales of the city's past and future.
With the theme 'A City Speaks…', this year's trail will form part of Leeds 400, marking 400 years since Leeds was granted its first Royal Charter by King Charles I.
Contemporary art installations like performances and projections across city landmarks will explore the stories, people and places that have shaped Leeds over the past four centuries.
Familiar streets and buildings will be totally transformed for two very special evenings, with more than 40 artworks to discover.
Areas
The stunning light installations will span across eight zones around the city.
These locations are:
Millennium Square
Briggate
Leeds train station
SOYO near Quarry Hill
Wellington Place
South Bank (Aire Park)
University of Leeds
Stourton park-and-ride sites
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Highlights
There's plenty to see at Light Night... and we mean plenty.
So we've handpicked five instillations that you don't want to miss.
Far, Far Away
Briggate
'Follow a trail of light along Briggate and step into an enchanting fairy-tale adventure inspired by the British Library’s collections. Classic stories by the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen meet ideas imagined by Leeds schoolchildren, brought vividly to life at an extraordinary scale.'
Call My Name, Call Me Home
Queen's Hotel, Station Zone
'A figure arrives by train to begin a new life in Leeds. Over six minutes, the façade of The Queens Hotel transforms as five decades of memories unfold across roads, streets, bars, hospitals and homes. Buildings appear and disappear, mapping one person’s journey onto the changing landscape of the city'
Butterflies
The Tetley, Aire park
'Look out for four enormous butterflies roaming freely through Aire Park. Lit from within by glowing LEDs, these spectacular puppets float, turn and dance among the crowds to their own musical soundtrack.'
Leeds Bridge 1880/2026
The Light, The Headrow
'See Leeds Bridge shift between past and present in Emily Allchurch’s contemporary response to a painting by Atkinson Grimshaw. His atmospheric 1880 view of the Victorian cast iron crossing, held by Leeds Art Gallery, slowly dissolves into a digital photographic collage of the same scene today.'
Foster 4 Leeds Neons
Cookridge Street
'Look up to discover children’s drawings glowing above Cookridge Street. Each neon artwork began as an image created by a child in care, capturing something they enjoy doing with their foster carer.'
Travel
To help you get there and back safely, there will be park-and-ride facilities at Elland Road and Stourton to accommodate visitors to and from the event, with buses running until later than normal every 15 minutes from both to the city centre at peak times.
There will also be additional buses running throughout the event from these locations with the last bus to Elland Road leaving Trinity P (Boar Lane) at 23:16 GMT and the last bus to Stourton leaving Trinity K (Lower Briggate) at 23:36.
Do I need a ticket?
Nope! Entrance and all the instillations are completely free.
Though the council have warned visitors that there may be some queues for the busier attractions.
You can find out more about Light Night and read about all the instillations here.
Read more: One of the UK’s cult-favourite burger chains is coming to Leeds city centre
Featured image - The Hoot Leeds
Art & Culture
Inside the historic Leeds mill transformed into a thriving hub for creatives
Clementine Hall
Nestled in Armley, Assembly House is an independent creative hub bringing artists together.
Assembly House, based on Canal Road in Armley inside a historic Victorian mill, has become a home for creatives across Leeds since launching in 2013.
The artist-led organisation combines working studios with an independent gallery and project space, hosting everything from exhibitions and workshops to community events and live music.
The space is currently home to 80 creatives who make up their community, comprising of professional practitioners including educators, performers, painters, sculptors, illustrators, video artists and designers.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Their aim is simple - to offer affordable studios to emerging artists alongside technical support, producing support along with access to workshops, internal film screenings and events.
Assembly House offer a yearly program of exhibitions designed to showcase the studio holders and get their work out there. It's all aimed at helping the artists, whether it's their first show or tenth.
It has also helped bring art into the wider neighbourhood through community murals, public sculptures and activities for local people.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
They believe art has the power to bring people together and to evoke emotion and thought, and we've got to say that we absolutely agree.
The space can also be hired by students and independent creatives looking to put on their own exhibitions or bring a project to life.
The fabulous venue is generally open to visitors during exhibitions, workshops and events, with visits by appointment at other times, so it's worth checking its website before heading over.
To have a look at their current programme and to find out more about what Assembly House are doing for Leeds and the community, you can take a look at their website here.
Emily Sergeant -
22nd December 2025 
