Art & Culture

Five of the best things to watch on TV this Christmas | 2025

Get those festive watchlists going.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 22nd December 2025

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

The Leeds artist you’ve probably seen everywhere has just opened a beautiful shop in the city centre

Declan Kelly Declan Kelly

Art by Arjo has officially got a permanent home in the city.

If you’re Leeds-obsessed, chances are you’ve seen an Art by Arjo print at some point. Maybe it was a drawing of Elland Road, maybe the Corn Exchange, maybe your university, favourite pub or one of Yorkshire’s many iconic landmarks.

And now, instead of waiting for the next market or scrolling through Instagram trying to decide which print to buy, you can find them all under one roof. Art by Arjo has landed in Leeds Corn Exchange.

And honestly, it feels like a pretty perfect home for a brand that's all about celebrating the places we know and love.

Images: The Hoot Leeds

For those who don't know the name, Art by Arjo is the work of Leeds-based artist Yusef Arjo, who has turned his background in architecture and love of drawing into a full-time creative business.

What started out with Yusef creating illustrations for family and friends eventually grew into something much bigger. In 2018, he took the leap into becoming a full-time artist, building Art by Arjo into a business selling his detailed architectural illustrations across the UK and beyond.

And now, he's gone from market stalls to his own permanent shop in the heart of Leeds. The whole idea behind the brand is pretty simple: take the places people love and turn them into something they can hang on their wall.

Images: The Hoot Leeds

We're talking football grounds, music venues, universities, cricket grounds, city centres, pubs and some of Yorkshire's most recognisable landmarks.

Naturally, Leeds gets plenty of love.

You can find illustrations of Elland Road, Leeds Town Hall, the Corn Exchange, Kirkgate Market, Leeds Dock, Headingley and the Royal Armouries, alongside plenty of other places that will have you saying, “Wait, I know that place.”

And that's what makes the prints so good: they're not just pictures of buildings. They're little reminders of places you've actually been. The stadium where you watched your first match. The university where you spent three years. The city centre street you've walked down a thousand times. The pub where you've spent far too many Friday nights.

Arjo takes those familiar places and turns them into something you can keep.

And with the new Corn Exchange shop, you can now see the artwork properly in person, rather than just double-tapping it on your phone.

So whether you're looking for something to add a bit of Leeds personality to your wall, hunting for a gift for someone who is very proud of where they're from, or simply fancy having a browse, Art by Arjo is well worth a look.

And there's an extra little surprise waiting in the shop too, with Arjo's very own print machine creating personalised, hand-drawn prints,  meaning you can walk away with a completely unique keepsake made just for you.

We're always here for local businesses that turn Leeds memories into wall art.

And going from a market stall to having your own shop in the Corn Exchange? Not a bad little upgrade.

Read more: The tiny seven-seater Leeds kitchen serving some of the best Japanese food in the city

Featured image - The Hoot Leeds

Art & Culture

Jacqueline Wilson and Gyles Brandreth among big names announced for Ilkley Literature Festival 2026

Clementine Hall Clementine Hall

The north’s longest-running literary festival, Ilkley Literature Festival, has announced its 2026 line-up.

This year, a host of household names including politicians, national treasures, journalists, novelists, poets, historians, comedians, and academics will head to the quaint spa town of Ilkley for their annual literaty festival.

The festival will take place across 17 packed days from Friday 2 to Sunday 18 October 2026.

Andrew Davies, the maestro of literary adaptations such as House of Cards and Bridget Jones will open the festival, having finally turned his razor sharp pen on the most challenging subject of all: himself, with his memoir, An Unsuitable Boy.

Elsewhere, actress Rachael Stirling will be talking about her exceptional mother, Diana Rigg – icon of stage and screen and the subject of a new memoir, whilst Mark Foster, five-time Olympian, six-time World Champion and eight-time World Record holder, will be discussing his inspiring and moving memoir, My Double.

Image: Supplied

Poetry lovers can spend an evening with the Poet laureate, Simon Armitage, as he reads from his new translation of Gilgamesh, whilst much-loved poet Brian Bilston will take you on a whistle stop tour through the history of verse, reading from his new collection How to Lay an Egg with a Horse Inside.

Broadcaster Gyles Brandreth will discussing the secrets for a long and healthy life, whilst icon Dame Jacqueline Wilson will introducing her brand-new book, Esme Pepper, and talking about her career, writing over 120 books for children.

Erica Morris, Chief Executive of Word Up North, the producer of Ilkley Literature Festival, said: “We’re looking forward to welcoming some of today’s most exceptional writers, thinkers and entertainers to Yorkshire this autumn. The festival has been encouraging curiosity, open dialogues and a shared love of words for over half a century.

"This year, as part of the National Year of Reading, we’re putting readers at the heart of the programme with a series of book club-style events - Page Turners Classic Fiction Club - celebrating some of the most compelling novels ever written from Wuthering Heights to The Wasp Factory. From dedicated fans to first-time readers, you can be sure of a warm Yorkshire welcome at Ilkley Literature Festival.”

Tickets go on general sale on Tuesday 25 August, with priority bookings open for Friends of the Festival a week before, on Wednesday 19 August. You can view the full lineup for the Ilkley Literature Festival and book your tickets here.

Read more: Facial fitness brand loved by celebrities to open second standalone store outside of London in Leeds

Featured image - Supplied


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