Christmas Day boasts the best telly of the year and we’re in for a treat tomorrow with the return of corkers, including Gavin and Stacey, Doctor Who – as well as a new outing for Wallace and Gromit

The countdown to Christmas Day TV is on and we’re in for a treat this year!

For weeks we’ve been looking forward to a whole host of festive shows, including the last ever Gavin and Stacey and Gail Platt’s final farewell in Coronation Street. There’s a busy schedule tomorrow, jam-packed with all your festive favourites, including a new outing for loveable duo, Wallace and Gromit as well as return to Nonnatus House for an annual dose of Call the Midwife. So, as we get ready to crack open the Celebrations and wear our ill-fitting cracker hats with pride, here’s a full round-up of the best Christmas Day telly tomorrow – including some sizzling spoilers…

Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special – BBC One, 3.55pm

Fresh from the success of its series finale in which Chris McCausland was declared victorious, Strictly is back with a star-studded Christmas special. While last year saw the triumph of EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick and professional dancer Nancy Xu, all eyes are on the dancefloor this time round to see who will be wowing us with their waltz. The full line-up for this year’s Christmas special includes the likes of comedian Josh Widdicombe, EastEnders legend Tamzin Outhwaite, presenter Vogue Williams, drag artist Tayce, Gladiators star Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and Formula 3 racing driver Billy Monger.

Doctor Who – BBC One, 5.10pm

The time-travelling doctor returns for this festive special, which is titled Joy to the World. Doctor Who returns for a special edition ahead of its brand new 15th season next year and this time, Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor will be joined by Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan as Joy. The new episode’s exact plot points remain under wraps, but we do know that the episode has been penned by former show-runner, Steven Moffat, who has teased what’s in store.

Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan stars as Joy in the Doctor Who Christmas treat ( 
Image:
BBC)
Previously speaking to BBC South East, he said: “Imagine in the far, far future that a hotel chain got hold of the idea of time travel. What’s the first thing a hotel chain would do if they had time travel? They’d realise they had an opportunity to sell all the unsold nights in their own hotels in history.”

Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl – BBC One, 6.10pm

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Loveable duo, Wallace and Gromit are back for another hilarious helping of the animated comedy franchise. The stop-motion pair are back better than ever with Peter Kay returning as Chief Inspector Macintosh, as well as cameos from Diane Morgan (Motherland), Adjoa Andoh (Bridgerton), Muzz Khan (Brassic) and Sir Lenny Henry (Three Little Birds). Gromit is growing concerned at Wallace’s over-dependence on his inventions in the festive flick, which is borne out when the cheese-lover creates a ‘smart gnome’ that seems to develop an evil mind of its own.

Wallace and Gromit are back in Vengeance Most Fowl ( 
Image:
1989 NFTS / AARDMAN ANIMATIONS LTD)
The Radio Times gave the film a five-star review, revealing: “Wallace and Gromit are just as loveable as ever, despite all the time that’s passed since we saw them last, and on the flip side of that, Feathers McGraw has lost none of his unpleasantness either, reminding us exactly why he was so scary to kids back in the day.”

Emmerdale – ITV, 6.30pm

Emmerdale promises to deliver a bombshell on Christmas Day with an epic return, dark discoveries and a shocking storyline teased for one family. A revenge plan could be about to backfire, while there’s grief, a new romance, Coira drama and a character vanishes. It starts when Piper returns to the show, the beloved dog of Belle Dingle. Actress Eden-Taylor Draper has spilled all on the epic comeback to The Mirror, and now spoilers have teased what unfolds.

Emmerdale promises to dig up a secret on Christmas Day with Belle Dingle ( 
Image:
ITV)Belle was led to believe Piper had died after being run over, when she was deliberately injured by Belle’s abusive husband Tom King. It seems Belle’s always been suspicious though, and next week she finally realises Piper never really died. After digging up her casket and finding only a brick in there, the mission is on to track Piper down. Soon enough there’s a Christmas miracle, and Piper and Belle are reunited.

Elsewhere, Marlon Dingle finds his relationship with troubled teen daughter April “on a knife’s edge” as she continues to spiral. But when Christmas Day arrives, Marlon is in for an almighty shock. The first of multiple flash-forwards will air at Christmas too, with Kim Tate in danger, it seems. As Will Taylor continues his plan to destroy her, with Peter encouraging him to go through with their plan, there’s a mystery character pulling the strings.

Coronation Street – ITV, 7pm

A dramatic Christmas Day is in store for the Platt gang in Corrie as Gail Rodwell (Helen Worth) bids farewell after 50 years. The ITV soap released a new trailer last week, which teases an emotional time, with the matriarch making a huge decision about her future. Actress Helen told fans she was leaving the show back in June before Gail found new love with Jesse Chadwick (John Thomson). After suffering a near-fatal heart attack, Gail realised life was too short and the two decided to wed. Sadly, she doesn’t realise that secrets and lies are brewing beneath the surface that could threaten to ruin her big day – and in true Weatherfield style, we’d say that’s a given!

A dramatic Christmas Day is in store for the Platt gang in Corrie as Gail Rodwell (Helen Worth) bids farewell after 50 years
With so much stacked against Gail and the family as a whole, her happy ending looks set to be ruined – especially if her mum Audrey (Sue Nicholls) has anything to do with it! “If you decide to marry that man, you’ll never see me again” she threatens in the trailer. Knowing that this will be the sixth (yes, sixth!) man her daughter’s walked down the aisle with, Audrey resorts to desperate measures, which look set to leave fans reeling.

EastEnders – BBC One, 7.30pm and 10.35pm

It’s going to be another barrel of laughs in Albert Square this Christmas – as the truth about Cindy Beale’s cheating in EastEnders is exposed in spectacular fashion. The incriminating evidence – captured on tape – will reveal Cindy’s true love for ex-husband George Knight (Colin Salmon) and her scandalous affair with his son, Junior (Micah Balfour).

It’s going to be another barrel of laughs in Albert Square this Christmas ( 
Image:
BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)Cindy, who is engaged to Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt), realises she has nowhere to hide as all hell breaks loose in both the Beale and Knight families. Actress Michelle Collins promised: “You’ll certainly be on the edge of your seats, but I would say it’s dramatic, powerful and moving. A classic EastEnders.”

Call The Midwife – BBC One, 8pm

It’s time to return to Nonnatus House for an annual dose of Call the Midwife, but unlike previous years, the BBC drama will be giving fans a double-episode. Instead of one 90-minute episode, viewers we’ll be treated to two 60-minute episodes, with the second airing on Boxing Day.

It’s time to return to Nonnatus House for an annual dose of Call the Midwife, ( 
Image:
BBC)
The episodes will see Poplar preparing for a carol concert, but the joyful festivities soon go south when the neighbourhood learns of the news of an escaped prisoner. Could he be the one to blame for the rise in local break-ins? There’s also set to be some cases of influenza and the Hong Kong flu to contend with, but the cast has promised that amid the darkness there will be light with the show’s signature humour.

Gavin and Stacey: The Finale – BBC One, 9pm

Viewers can’t wait to catch up with gang in Barry Island in the Christmas special tomorrow night, which, sadly, marks the end of the road for BAFTA-winning programme. Fans are going wild after the BBC finally dropped the trailer for the Gavin and Stacey, which picks up from the 2019 cliffhanger, which left viewers reeling as Nessa got down on one knee to propose to Smithy, played by James Corden.

Gavin and Stacey fans will find out if Nessa has finally tied the knot with Smithy ( 
Image:
BBC/Toffee International Ltd./Tom Jackson)
In the trailer, fans see Stacey, played by Joanna Page, tell husband, Gavin – Matt Horne: “Oh, I’m absolutely buzzing, I am. A whole weekend away, just me and you!” Gavin mysteriously replies: “Well, yeah, except it’s not just me and you, is it?” as all the other familiar faces pop up one by one.

Smithy rocks up calling Gavin ‘Gaviscon’ while Pam and Mick (Alison Steadman and Larry Lamb) can be seen getting the table ready for Christmas dinner. Pam’s is sporting her signature rollers before Neil the Baby is warned to behave by his mum Nessa. Gwen brings up ‘that’ fishing trip with Bryn, hilariously accusing them of “tearing the family apart” as fans wait with baited breath to see if the mystery is finally revealed. The blended families can then be seen having a drunken party at Pam and Mick’s house as Nessa and Smithy are shown looking extremely close and flirtatious. Is this a sign that the pair actually got together? We’ll have to wait until Christmas Day to find out.

Outnumbered – BBC One, 9.40pm, Boxing Day

Despite not showing on Christmas Day, Outnumbered is returning to the Beeb for a one-off festive special on Boxing Day – and we’re so excited, we had to include it in this list.

The Brockman family – Pete, Sue, and their now-adult children Jake, Ben, and Karen – will reunite for the eagerly-awaited episode and news which has delighted fans. In a spoiler for the show, Pete and Sue have downsized to a smaller home, and the family is navigating new dynamics, including grandparenthood.

Outnumbered is returning to the Beeb for a one-off festive special ( 
Image:
(Image: BBC))
Ahead of the episode, Hugh Dennis, Claire Skinner, and their on-screen children Tyger Drew-Honey, Daniel Roche, and Ramona Marquez all made an appearance on The One Show. Much changed since their childhood days, they hinted at some major developments for the beloved family.

Claire, who portrays mum Sue, teased: “Well we find that they’ve downsized, they’re now living in a smaller house because the kids have moved out. However, they are grandparents so we find them at Christmas welcoming their family back and an extra member of the family.”

On last week’s Morning Live show, BBC audiences were treated to an exclusive first look at the holiday special, which sees one of the characters facing a significant choice. The preview features an adult Karen (Ramona Marquez) contemplating a name change due to its stereotypical connotations. She tells her parents: “Karen is the archetypal name for an entitled middle-aged woman.”

Her father, Pete (Hugh Dennis) responds with wry humour, commenting: “I’m sorry, we’d meant to teleport into the future to check on that when we christened you.” Elsewhere in the teaser, viewers see Pete, Karen, and their son Ben (Daniel Roche) getting into the Christmas spirit as they deck out their tree. But it’s not all tinsel and baubles as usual as the family’s choice of decoration raises some eyebrows.

Mrs Brown has a Christmas miracle to perform in the first of two festive visits to Finglas ( 
Image:
BBC Studios / Elaine Livingston)
Mrs Brown’s Boys – BBC One, 11.05pm

Mrs Brown has a Christmas miracle to perform in the first of two festive visits to Finglas. Can Agnes convince her nearest and dearest that she’s not grumpy?! Elsewhere, the Dublin matriarch’s daughter Cathy pulls the community together for a good cause, and expects the unexpected from Buster, as he sources a sustainable tree.

Teasing the Christmas Day episode, titled, Ding Dong Mammy, star and creator Brendan O’Carroll said: “First of all, we have a stunning Christmas tree that can be recycled. Then we’ve Cathy trying to solve the homeless problem in Finglas and the surrounding area!” The show returns on New Year’s Day for more hi-jinks as Agnes turns her spare room into a bed and breakfast, but she can forget about tucking into the Celebrations as there’s an escaped dangerous criminal on the loose!