Contrary to your grand visions of snowman and snowdog perfection, the British Christmas television programming for 2025 is starting to take shape. And they’re bringing in the big guns – not just Joanna Lumley, Russell T Davies and Mark Gatiss, but also the iconic Pat Butcher, returning to Albert Square and the Queen Vic for the first time in a decade (and the second time since his assassination).
A little more optimistic is Dear Santawho sees 16 years old Chris (Lenny Rush) sets out to prove that the big jolly guy with the red suit and flying reindeer really does exist. Nobody knows why his father (James Buckley) waited so long to get The Talk, but in his quest Chris meets academics including Stephen Fry and Hannah Fry, who we pray don’t spoil all the fun of Channel 4’s flagship festive special.
Julia Donaldson’s latest adaptation from the BBC The Scarecrow Wedding is set to be the big animated special of the season, starring Jessie Buckley and Domhnall Gleeson as beloved effigies Betty O’Barley and Harry O’Hay, whose wedding plans are derailed by Reginald Rake (Rob Brydon).
As one of the most iconic British television characters of all time, Pat Butcher EastEnders the return, although brief, will require a little trimming, but you can count on Coronation Street to do everything possible during his 65th year. Something tells us Debbie Webster’s (Sue Devaney) white wedding might end in tears.
Although it doesn’t strictly have a festive theme, it wouldn’t be Christmas without one Doctor Who special. It’s a really troubled time for the series, which won’t return until next year, but a five-part spin-off The war between land and sea sounds like a real breath of fresh air, with Russell Tovey and Gugu Mbatha-Raw in the lead roles.
There is the small matter of the long-awaited second series of The night manager too, although it will be closer to the New Year.
Although BBC iPlayer, ITVX and Channel 4 only work in the UK, a good VPN will let you stream the best of British Christmas TV from abroad. Scroll down for a list of confirmed special offers, which we’ll update as more are announced.
Can I stream UK Christmas TV for free?
The vast majority of UK Christmas specials can be watched for free thanks to BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4 And 5.
Traveling outside the UK for Christmas? You can use a VPN to connect for free as if you were at home. NordVPN is our top pick among the options.
Use a VPN to stream British Christmas TV from abroad
Why is a VPN a good option for streaming British Christmas TV from abroad?
If you’re leaving the UK for Christmas, whether for work, on holiday or to visit family and friends, geo-restrictions will prevent you from watching British Christmas TV.
This is where a VPN is convenient: not only does it allow you to access your home streaming services from anywhere, but it also protects you from potential online threats.
What devices and platforms are supported by NordVPN?
Amazon Fire Stick
Android
Android TV/Google TV
Chromecast
iOS
iPadOS
Nvidia Shield
Raspberry Pi
Web browsers (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari)
While you can’t run NordVPN directly on other devices, such as PlayStation and Xbox consoles, TVs running Apple TV, and various other smart TV systems, as well as VR headsets, a simple solution is to run NordVPN on your smartphone or computer and set up a hotspot.
British Christmas TV 2025
BBC One
Amanda and Alan’s Spanish work
Amandaland Christmas Special
Christmas Special Beyond Paradise
Call the midwife, Christmas special
Celebrity Apprentice
Dead in Paradise Christmas Special
DIY SOS Christmas Special
EastEnders
Here we go, Christmas special
The Wheel Christmas Special by Michael McIntyre
Mrs. Brown’s Boys
Pudsey and the Thread of Hope
Songs of praise
Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special
Strictly Come Dancing final
Plush
The Finish Line Celebrity Christmas Specials
Christmas Special from the Great British Sewing Bee
The night manager
The Scarecrow’s Wedding
The war between land and sea
Two Door Christmas Special
Weakest Link Christmas and New Year Specials
Would I lie to you? at Christmas
BBC two
A Ghost Story for Christmas: The Tower Room
Live at the Apollo Christmas Special
Mammoth Christmas Special
Richard Osman’s festive Games House
BBC Four
Royal Institution Christmas Lectures
ITV1
Ant & Dec Unlimited Wins Christmas Special
Bullseye Christmas Special
The Capital Jingle Bell Ball
Christmas special with celebrity slogan
Christmas Crafts
Coronation Street
Emmerdale
John and Lisa’s Christmas cooking
Romesh Ranganathan’s Parents’ Evening
Steve Backshall’s Royal Arctic Challenge
The 1% Club Christmas special
The Chase Christmas Special
The Martin Lewis Money Show
The Masked Singer Christmas Special
Wheel of Fortune Celebrity Christmas Special
You bet Christmas special
Channel 4
8 out of 10 cats are doing a special Christmas countdown
A Very Taskmaster Christmas
Batch from scratch: Cooking for less, Christmas special
Dear Santa
Champion of Champions Taskmaster
Taskmaster New Year Treat
The big quiz of the year
The final leg’s Christmas and New Year specials
5
All Creatures Great and Small: Behind the Magic
Christmas Special for All Creatures Great and Small
Christmas Special Mysteries Madame Blanc
Sally Lindsay’s Christmas Quiz
U&W
Christmas special for the love of dogs
CBeebies
Christmas Panto: Cinderella
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