The BBC has faced a significant setback in Christmas Day ratings, with only Strictly Come Dancing seeing a rise in viewership compared to the previous year. None of the broadcaster's shows managed to outperform The King's Speech, which drew 6 million viewers, the same as last year.
Strictly Come Dancing's Christmas special attracted 4.35 million viewers, up from 4.05 million in 2024, marking the final appearance of hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. However, other BBC staples saw sharp declines. Call The Midwife dropped from 4.4 million to 3.4 million viewers, while EastEnders' first episode fell from 4 million to 2.8 million, and its second from 4.4 million to 2.2 million. The Weakest Link also dipped to 2.6 million from 3.05 million.
Last year's standout hits, Gavin and Stacey and Wallace and Gromit, drew 12.3 million and 9.4 million respectively, but no such blockbusters aired this year. The BBC's second most-watched programme was The Scarecrows' Wedding, with 4.3 million viewers.
Despite the overall decline, the BBC claimed nine of the top ten Christmas Day programmes. Chief Content Officer Kate Phillips 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."
