The BBC suffered some of its worst Christmas Day TV ratings in modern times this year, as viewers turn their backs on its traditional festive offerings.
Viewing figures were almost two thirds lower at their peak this December 25, with almost 4.6 million people tuning in to watch King Charles III’s annual Christmas message.
This marked a near eight million fewer viewers than those who huddled round the television set for the corporation’s long-awaited Gavin and Stacey special in 2024.
While 12.5 million watched the Christmas reunion, ten million also sat down for the corporation’s showing of Wallace & Gromit on the same day, and both exceeded 20 million when views on catch-up were added.
But while the BBC still dominated the most-watched list this year, its ratings were down across the board in a worrying sign for bosses following another year of scandals.
Familiar favourites such as Eastenders and Call The Midwife saw their viewers drop compared with 2024, suggesting a steady decline in the number of Brits switching on the box this Christmas.
None of the top ten shows came close to last year’s successes, with second-placed The Scarecrow’s Wedding getting 4.3 million views and Strictly Come Dancing at third with 4.2 million.
Call the Midwife came in at fourth with 3.4 million watches, while first-time entry Amandaland beat out the residents of Albert Square for seventh place with three million.
The Christmas special of Strictly Come Dancing marked the final time Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly hosted the show, and pulled in 4.2 million viewers on Christmas Day
First-time entry to the Christmas Day schedule Amandaland pulled in three million viewers – in 2024
The corporation did still occupy nine of the top ten spots for the most-watched festive television shows, with even its weather forecast trumping ITV‘s best-viewed programme, The 1% Club.
But its results are being described as the BBC’s worst ever festive performance, previously attributed to its 2006 outing, which saw its viewer share drop to just 30 percent.
However in a world before streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon diverted many viewers to alternatives platforms, even on that Christmas Day its best-watched programme, the Christmas episode of The Vicar Of Dibley, pulled in 11.4 million.
This year’s maximum of 4.5 million is a far cry from the heyday of 1986, when around 30 million people tuned in to watch the corporation’s festive edition of Eastenders.
Critics argue that this year’s low figures are not only the continuation of a long-running trend, but also particularly brutal given the sensational line-up last year thanks to Gavin and Stacey.
Even the prospect of Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly’s last ever Strictly appearance was seemingly not enough to entice viewers back to mainstream TV.
It will be a bitter blow to the BBC which is still reeling from a series of scandals in recent months and the filing of a massive lawsuit by US President Donald Trump.
This year’s offerings were themselves controversial after the corporation chose not to pull the Boxing Day special of comedy panel show Would I Lie To You following allegations of inappropriate behaviour against one of its panelists emerging.
Comedian and author David Walliams was this month dropped by his publishers HarperCollins over claims he sexually harassed junior employees. Walliams denies any wrongdoing.
The former Britain’s Got Talent host was already in hot water after it emerged earlier this year that while recording the festive episode, he made two Nazi salutes and a lewd sexual gesture.
Host Rob Bryant reportedly had to intervene in the recording to remind Walliams that the show is family-friendly and is broadcast pre-watershed.
The BBC has confirmed it has no future plans to work with the author, but still aired the episode as planned.
Elsewhere, the BBC is under fresh scrutiny over its relationship with Russell Brand, who was recently charged with more allegations of rape and sexual assault against women. He has pleaded not guilty to the previous charges against him.
And just days before Christmas Trump filed a $10 billion lawsuit against the corporation over the editing of a speech he made on the day of the Capital riots in an episode of Panorama.
Kate Phillips, the BBC’s chief content officer, said: ‘We’re proud of the fact that people come together on the BBC at Christmas.
‘Having nine out of the top ten shows on Christmas Day is a timely reminder that shared moments really do still matter even in a world of so much choice.’
