All the entertainment shows to watch this year

Mariah Meets Rylan 

Streaming now, BBC iPlayer 

The Queen of Christmas sits down with the BBC Radio 2 DJ (and superfan) in LA to chat about her life and career. As well as celebrating the 30^th anniversary of “All I Want for Christmas is You”, Carey also remembers her many appearances on Top of the Pops and puts her Cockney accent to the test with a pretend EastEnders episode.

My Life at Christmas with Anita Rani

Streaming now, BBC iPlayer

This year it’s Woman’s Hour presenter Anita Rani who is noseying in on how famous faces spend the festive period. She meets with Dame Sheila Hancock, Rudolph Walker (better known as EastEnders’ Patrick) and Spencer Matthews to learn of their traditions and Christmas pet peeves.

Gino & Fred: Emission Impossible

Monday 16 December, 9pm, ITV1

Gordon Ramsay seems to have not been invited on this year’s trip to Austria and Croatia, with Gino D’Acampo and Fred Siriex making the journey on their own. This year they’re determined to make their travels as eco-friendly as possible, the importance of which is made clear at the very start when they see the melting glaciers of the Zillertal Alps.

Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking

Tuesday 17 December, Prime Video

Missing Bake Off already? Perhaps this magical slant on the baking competition will whet your appetite. Hosted by the Weasley twins themselves – James and Oliver Phelps from the movies – the series pits bakers against one another and challenges them to create increasingly fantastical bakes inspired by the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

BBC Sports Personality of the Year

Tuesday 17 December, 7pm, BBC One

Gabby Logan, Clare Balding and Alex Scott host the live awards show from MediaCityUK in Salford, celebrating the very best sportsmen and women of the past year. Olympian Keely Hodgkinson is favourite to win following her gold medal win in Paris, followed closely by darts prodigy Luke Littler.

QI Christmas Special

Tuesday 17 December, 9pm, BBC Two

Sandi Toksvig remains in the compere’s chair for this festive version of the long-running quiz, with regular nuisance – sorry, I mean team captain – Alan Davies also present. Also on the panel are Gyles Brandreth, Lulu and Emmanuel Sonubi.

Mary Berry Makes Christmas

Wednesday 18 December, 8pm, BBC One

Radio DJ Nick Grimshaw, former Strictly professional dancer Oti Mabuse and Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden are the lucky celebs to receive an invite to Mary Berry’s kitchen this Christmas. On the menu is a hearty vegetable soup, perfect for chilly December afternoons, a Christmas Eve prawn and haddock fish pie and turkey pasties.

Stacey Solomon’s Crafty Christmas

Wednesday 18 December, 9pm, BBC One

I am still haunted by the terrifying life-size nutcracker Stacey Solomon made last year, so I’m hoping she has something a little less sinister to show us in this new edition of her annual crafting show. This year, she’s throwing a party at her grandmother’s care home, so recruits husband Joe and their kids to transform the space into a Winter Wonderland and create some one-of-a-kind homemade gifts.

Never Mind the Buzzcocks Christmas Special

Wednesday 18 December, 9pm, Sky Max

Team captain Daisy May Cooper returns to the music quiz just in time for the Christmas special. On her side this episode are singer Ella Henderson and comedian Chris Ramsay, while Noel Fielding welcomes series regular Jamali Maddix and Capital Breakfast host Jordan North on to his team. As always, Greg Davies asks the questions.

The Great British Sewing Bee Celebrity Christmas Special

Thursday 19 December, 9pm, BBC One

H from Steps, EastEnders actor Kellie Bright, comedian Fatiha El Ghorri and reality TV star Charlotte Crosby are the celebs ready to show off their sewing skills in this festive edition of Sewing Bee. Former host Sara Pascoe is back to present, and judges Esme Young and Patrick Grant challenge the celebrities to make advent calendars, transform onesies into Christmas costumes and sew an outfit inspired by their favourite Christmas number ones.

Steven Frayne: Miracles

Thursday 19 December, 9pm, Sky Max

The artist formerly known as Dynamo is back with another mind-bending special full of tricks and twists. Frayne travels the country performing street magic and meeting everyday heroes who have performed their own “miracles”. But the real attraction is the apparently “death-defying” grand finale – there’s only one way to find out what the magician has up his sleeve this time.

First Dates at Christmas

Thursday 19 December, 9pm, Channel 4

For some, there’s nothing worse than being single at Christmas. Enter Fred Siriex and his army of cupids who are welcoming special guests to a festive meal at the First Dates restaurant. On the invite list are hopeless romantic Tee who thinks chivalry is dead, and 29-year-old semi-competitive Pokémon player Isaac.

The Weakest Link

Saturday 21 December, 6.15pm/Christmas Day, 3.10pm/Saturday 28 December, 7.30pm, BBC One

There’s not one, not two, but three festive episodes of The Weakest Link over the Christmas period. First up is a Strictly special, with eight dancing alumni and a few pros hoping to raise as much money for charity as possible. The other two episodes – one of which is slightly flimsily titled the “Party special” – see the likes of Shaun Ryder, Kerry Katona, Phil Tufnell, Scarlett Moffatt, Richie Anderson and Christine McGuinness all vying to be the Strongest Link.

Strictly Come Dancing: 20 Fabulous Years

Saturday 21 December, 7pm, BBC One

It’s a double dose of Strictly this Christmas as the series is also celebrating its 20^th anniversary. This special edition is made up of never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage, interviews with the team that made it into the TV behemoth it is today and plenty of memories from over the past two decades. Tissues at the ready for the inevitable Bruce Forsyth tribute.

Bullseye Christmas Special

Sunday 22 December, 6pm, ITV1

Another round of Bullseye is in order this Christmas, with Freddie Flintoff back in Jim Bowen’s shoes. If you’re not familiar, it’s essentially a darts competition that pairs amateur players – the “thrower” – with a general knowledge wizz – the “knower”. Answer questions correctly, throw the darts at the board, win prizes. Easy!

The Great Christmas Bake Off/The Great New Year Bake Off

Christmas Eve, 7.45pm/3 January, 7.40pm, Channel 4

It’s a soap-star extravaganza in the Bake Off tent this year, with EastEnders‘ Dean Gaffney and Natalie Cassidy, Emmerdale’s Sheree Murphy and Chris Bisson, and Coronation Street‘s Shobna Gulati all hoping to impress judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith with their bakes. In the New Year’s edition, as is tradition, bakers from past series will return to the tent for a second shot at winning Star Baker.

TikTok Top 100 2024

Christmas Eve, 9.15pm, ITV1

This programme purports to count down the 100 “funniest, maddest, most extreme, rudest and most epic viral TikTok videos” of the last year. Who gets to decide what constitutes the best clips of the year is beyond me; I just hope we have the same algorithm.

Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special

Christmas Day, 3.55pm, BBC One

Mere weeks after crowning this year’s Strictly champion, judges Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and Shirley Ballas are once again ready to evaluate a new set of celebrity dancers. Taking to the floor for this year’s festive treat are comedian Josh Widdecombe, drag queen Tayce, podcaster Vogue Williams, Gladiator Harry Aikines-Aryeetey aka Nitro, actor Tamzin Outhwaite and racing driver Billy Monger.

The Masked Singer Christmas Special

Boxing Day, 7.30pm, ITV1

Who’s behind Star, Turkey Crown, Nutcracker, and Christmas Cracker? We don’t know who’s in this year’s Christmas Masked Singer line-up – but of course that’s the whole point. Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders replace the usual judging line-up.

The 1% Club Christmas Special

Boxing Day, 9pm, ITV1

Forget Only Connect – Lee Mack’s The 1% Club is the toughest quiz on the TV. This year’s Christmas special is chock full of festive themed questions designed to test contestants’ ability to think outside the box.

Blankety Blank Christmas Special

Boxing Day, 9pm, BBC One

Bradley Walsh hosts another Christmas special of the 80s game show. Jane McDonald, Joel Dommett, Jonathan Ross, Oti Mabuse, Sara Pascoe and The Vivienne are on the panel, each helping civilian contestants win some, er, “unique” prizes.

The Festive Pottery Throwdown 2024

Boxing Day, 9pm, Channel 4

It’s that time of year again, when clueless celebrities sit down at a pottery wheel and hope to make something resembling a plate. This year, judges Keith Brymer Jones and Rich Miller have asked Babatunde Aléshé, Martin Kemp, Rachel Riley and Tom Rosenthal to create their own handmade Winter Wonderland and a series of wine coolers.

Big Fat Quiz of the Year 2024

Friday 27 December, 9pm, Channel 4

Richard Ayoade, Katherine Ryan, Rob Beckett, Judi Love, Chris McCausland and Maisie Adam are the funny folk answering Jimmy Carr’s questions on the annual, ever-chaotic quiz show. As ever, Charles Dance and the children of Mitchell Brook Primary School are on hand to help.

Wheel of Fortune Christmas Special

Saturday 28 December, 7pm, ITV1

A new series of the revived gameshow returns with a celebrity special. Graham Norton is back as host, spinning the giant carnival wheel and (hopefully) winning some cash for the celebs’ chosen charities.

Taskmaster’s New Year’s Eve Treat

Sunday 29 December, 9pm, Channel 4

Seeing non-comedians take on Grag Davies’s increasingly wacky tasks has become quite the yearly treat. This time around, money expert Martin Lewis, actor Sue Johnston, former England goalkeeper David James, All Saints singer Melanie Blatt, and maths whiz and academic Professor Hannah Fry are all stepping up to the plate. But only one of them can win the coveted statue of Davies’s eyebrows.

The National Lottery’s New Year’s Eve Big Bash

New Year’s Eve, 5.45pm, ITV1

Vernon Kay and Fleur East are in charge of this party filmed in front of an audience of thousands at the OVO Arena Wembley. As well as music from Craig David, and Olly Alexander, there’s also a performance from Cirque du Soleil’s Corteo. Expect a celebration of the past 12 months, from sporting triumphs to the biggest entertainment stories to a special honouring of those who have worked to make other people’s lives better in 2024.

The Last Leg of the Year

New Year’s Eve, 9pm, Channel 4

#IsItOk that I’m very glad to see the back of 2024? I can only imagine what Adam Hills, Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker will make of the last 12 months in their annual round-up. Joining them to see out 2024 are Chris McCausland, Sandi Toksvig, Guz Khan, AJ Odudu and Josh Pugh.

The Graham Norton Show New Year’s Eve

New Year’s Eve, 10.25pm, BBC One

Robbie Williams is this year’s headline guest on Graham Norton’s New Year’s Eve show, there to promote his new biopic Better Man in which he is played by a CGI monkey (yes, really). Also paying the sofa a visit are Oscar-winning actor Rami Malek, Strictly judge Motsi Mabuse and stand-up comedian John Bishop.

Gladiators Celebrity Special

New Year’s Day, 6pm, BBC One

The first celebrity special of the new edition of Gladiators sees comedian Joel Dommett go head-to-head against Rob Beckett, and Breakfast presenter Louise Minchin face off Ted Lasso’s Ellie Taylor. But of course, it’s not each other they should worry about, rather the fast, strong gladiators who will be trying to stop them. Rather them than I.

The Traitors

New Year’s Day, 8pm, BBC One

The second series of The Traitors earlier this year was some of the most heart-stopping television I’ve ever watched. Now, Claudia Winkleman is back to put the new batch of Faithfuls and Traitors through their paces – let’s hope that they can pull it off for a third time when the spooky reality series returns on New Year’s Day.

Have I Got Sport for You

Friday 3 January, 8.30pm, BBC One

Between the Paris Olympics, the men’s Euros and the T20 World Cups, 2024 has been quite the year for British sport. Jason Manford hosts this Have I Got News for You spin-off quiz, asking Jon Richardson, Maisie Adam, Eddie Hearn, Kadeena Cox, Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Stuart Broad all about the sporting highs and lows of 2024.