If you’re anything like us, you’ll currently be poring over the Christmas TV listings, picking out all the unmissable shows you need to see this year.
And while the BBC, ITV, Netflix and co have put on a veritable buffet of televisual treats for us over the festive period, we’ve been feeling all nostalgic about the telly of Christmases past.
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So join us as we head back in time to 2001, to see what we were all sitting down to watch (and perhaps fall asleep to) 20 years ago…
CHRISTMAS EVE
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Dale’s National Lottery Christmas Cracker
7.15pm on BBC One
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Dale Winton
Shutterstock
The late Dale Winton hosted a special edition of his National Lottery show, which saw him joined by Will Smith and Vinnie Jones, while Westlife, S Club 7, the Corrs and Cher were on hand to provide the music.
Des O’Connor Tonight At Christmas
8.30pm on ITV
Des O’Connor and Will Smith
There was a double dose of Will Smith on 24 December, as he was also one of the guests on a special festive edition of Des O’Connor’s chat show.
It was a chat show extravaganza on Christmas Eve back in 2001, as no sooner had Des finished up his ITV show than Parky was welcoming a host of famous faces onto his iconic interview series.
Dame Edna Everage swung by for a chat, while Robbie Williams teamed up with Lenny Henry to perform some big band numbers in support of his Swing When You’re Winning album, while Charlotte Church was on hand to sing a special Christmas Carol.
But the absolute highlight was Geri Horner (then Halliwell) performing an acoustic medley of Spice Girls songs, mixed in with her own hits and some Christmas classics (complete with beatboxer), for reasons we’re not entirely sure about.
While Christmas editions of daytime favourites like This Morning and Lorraine have become more commonplace in recent years, Channel 4’s defunct (and much missed) breakfast show was serving up a televisual treat to open your stocking to 20 years ago.
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Back in 2001, Top Of The Pops was still a weekly part of the TV schedule, compared to the annual festive one-off it is now following its axe in 2006, but it still pulled in the biggest chart names for its Christmas Day episode.
In what is truly a marker of the time, the list of performers included Shaggy, S Club 7, Wheatus, Westlife, Atomic Kitten, Hear’Say, Kylie Minogue and Afroman, as well as a rendition of that year’s Christmas number one by Robbie Williams & Nicole Kidman with Something Stupid.
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The EastEnders Christmas special was still split into two 30-minute parts back in 2001.
That year saw Phil Mitchell discover he was Louise’s real father, with Lisa Shaw and Mark Fowler having made the Square believe the baby was his.
Elsewhere, the domestic abuse storyline between Trevor Morgan and Little Mo reached grim new levels as he pushed his wife’s face into her Christmas dinner and made her eat the remains off the carpet.
There was some cheer to be had, however, as Jim Branning proposed to Dot Cotton, but not before a mix-up with Sonia Fowler, who believed Jamie Mitchell was about to pop the question to her after finding the ring.
This was BBC One’s big Christmas drama in 2001, with the two-parter spread over Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Based on Arthur Conan-Doyle ’s novel, it followed a maverick professor who led a party from London to South America in search of plateau where dinosaurs are rumoured to roam.
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Christmas Day 2001 heralded one of Corrie’s most iconic – and unexpected – storylines ever, as it marked the beginning of Deirdre Barlow’s affair with Dev Alahan.
It wasn’t a peaceful Christmas at the Barlows, as a drunken Peter accused his stepmother of being responsible for the death of his sister Susan.
After slapping him and storming out to leave the family to make their own Christmas dinner, she ended up at her boss Dev Alahan’s where they wallowed in how disastrous their respective days have been. But as the wine started flowing, it wasn’t long before they ended up in bed together…
Elsewhere on the Street, the law caught up with Terry Duckworth as he was arrested while trying to take dad Jack to hospital with chest pains.
Impressionist of the moment Alistair McGowan landed a prime-time slot on Christmas Day, as him and Ronnie Ancona took off celebrities including Davina McCall, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, Des Lynham, Pete Waterman, the cast of EastEnders and Helen and Paul from Big Brother 2.
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The Only Fools And Horses Christmas special was a long-held tradition, with the 2001 catching up with the Trotters five years after they were last seen on TV.
It saw Del and Rodney return to Peckham after losing the riches they’d made in the 1996 special after making a bad financial investment that saw them declared bankrupt. But they were given a chance to win their fortune back when Del Boy appeared on a gameshow, but things didn’t exactly go to plan.
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The show went up against Only Fools And Horses in the Christmas Day ratings war, and more members of the public walk through those famous doors to emerge as their pop icons – although this time performing festive classics.
Among them were Shakin’ Stevens’ Merry Christmas Everyone, Karen Carpenter and Merry Christmas Darling, and, errrm, Gloria Gaynor & Aretha Franklin doing It’s Raining Men – quite how that fitted into the festive theme, we can’t tell you because it’s not on YouTube.
Snow Graham Norton
11pm on Channel 4
Snow Graham Norton
To finish off Christmas Day, Channel 4 showed a late night repeat of the festive edition of Graham Norton’s pre-BBC chat show, which saw the comedian joined by Kate Beckinsale, Martine McCutcheon, Alison Moyet and S Club 7.
BOXING DAY
Cilla’s Surprise Surprise
5.15pm on ITV
Cilla went to Disneyland for the 2001 Surprise Surprise Christmas special
Ken McKay/Shutterstock
Cilla Black was on hand to bring some festive surprises to a host of unsuspecting members of the public with a special edition of Surprise Surprise, which saw her travel to Disneyland Paris.
Ultimately, it would prove to be Cilla’s last episode hosting the long-running show, which had been on air since 1984.
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A 20th anniversary episode that was made for transmission in late 2003 never made it to air after Cilla sensationally quit ITV live on an episode of Blind Date earlier that year. However, the lost episode did eventually air during the Christmas period some 12 years later.
There was even more Graham to be had over the Christmas of 2001, with the chat show legend journeying to Dollywood, Tennessee, at the invitation of the great lady herself – Dolly Parton.
It is also one of the few shows on this list that is still available to watch in full, with the episode on All4.
Jonathan Creek
9.05pm on BBC One
Jonathan Creek
Bill Bailey and Steven Berkoff joined Alan Davies for a new adventure for Jonathan Creek as part of BBC One’s Boxing Day schedule.
The latest supernatural mystery saw him join forces with the police to solve the murder of an actress on a film set, baffled by how the window she was shot through had managed to remain in tact.
One of the few pure, unequivocally great delights of 2021 was the long-awaited return of Succession. Delayed by the pandemic, the show’s third season soared to new heights. Week after week, the writing on Succession is some of the best on TV right now, producing endlessly quotable and meme-able lines.
What makes a great Succession line? Among other things, it’s the precision, density, hilarity, ability for a line to live rent-free in our minds, or all of the above.
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This list of superb lines, listed chronologically, could have gone on forever. So if something isn’t here, it doesn’t mean it wasn’t an excellent piece of writing. As Cousin Greg explained: “Headline is, uh, the internet is big, uh, obviously, uh, and I haven’t, I can’t, I couldn’t read it all, but I’m working through, I guess.”
“Who said I didn’t kill anyone?” — Kendall (Jeremy Strong)
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At the beginning of the season, this line, followed by the sly grin on his face, was grimly funny. But now, it seems prescient and chilling, given how much that season one car accident, when Kendall did indeed kill someone, figures heavily into the final two episodes of season three.
“We get it.” — Hugo (Fisher Stevens)
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“We hear/here for you,” the sequel.
“Do you know how many emails I get a day? I don’t read my emails!” — Logan (Brian Cox)
Yes, Logan used his mountain of emails to deny culpability in covering up the many scandals at Waystar. But also, this is very relatable. Apologies if I’ve missed your email.
“It’s kind of a greeting card from hell. It’s a Times New Roman firing squad.” — Connor (Alan Ruck)
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This is Connor’s description of Shiv’s letter attacking Kendall after the Roy siblings decide not to join Kendall in his coup against their dad. It isn’t necessarily the most memorable or funniest line. But it exemplifies the brilliant precision and depth of the writing on this show. “Times New Roman firing squad” isn’t something someone might realistically blurt out. But as soon as you read it and hear it, you know exactly what it means.
“Well, I guess the government isn’t a fucking Pez dispenser. You don’t push a button and something pops out the other end.” — Gerri (J. Smith Cameron)
Gerri, Waystar’s general counsel and acting CEO (and often the most competent person in the room), has one of her finest moments during the tense FBI raid on the company. It’s probably one of the few times in his life that Logan realises he can’t get out of a fiasco by telling someone to fuck off, paying them off, or outmanoeuvring them.
“This just doesn’t work for me. So, fuck you and God bless.” — Kendall
“Little Lord Fuckleroy” ending a conference call with his dad, siblings and Waystar executives. Succession has the best encyclopedia of insults, greetings and signoffs.
“Nice and strong. Strong one. Strong for a man.” — Cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun)
Cousin Greg orders a rum and coke at some absurdly early time in the morning, urged by Logan, who has invited Greg to a meeting to bribe him into abandoning Kendall’s coup attempt.
I have now taken to calling my drinks “strong for a man.” The way Braun, a giant, grips the tiny glass with both of his hands is perfect.
Also, a runner-up from the same scene: “Different times. Different times indeed. Better times? Not for all.” Brian Cox’s enunciation of “Coca Cola” also lives rent-free in my brain, as well as his delivery of “What Greg wants, Greg must have!” One of the many joys of watching Succession is how there is so much going on in every single moment.
“We’re about to lose the company at the shareholder meet, all because you wouldn’t give our dad a timely fucking Evian. Good day!” — Roman (Kieran Culkin)
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Again, it’s the precision here. Not just “you wouldn’t give our dad some water so he wouldn’t collapse while hiking in the Hamptons and stubbornly insisting he didn’t need any help!” It’s the specificity of “a timely fucking Evian.” Also, I’d like to try ending a phone call with an angry “Good day!”
“I’d castrate you and marry you in a heartbeat.” — Tom (Matthew Macfadyen)
Tom and Greg, a (very toxic) love story. This is the scene in which Tom tells Greg some seemingly random story about Nero and Sporus (“not IP I am familiar with,” Greg responds). But it will all make sense later — especially the line: “Nero pushed his wife down the stairs.” Boy, did we not know what Tom had up his sleeve.
This isn’t even a line of dialogue, just a moment that lives rent-free in my brain. Kendall’s kids’ giant pet rabbit has gotten sick because they fed it too much bagel (which Kendall permitted them to do, overruling their babysitter). Juliana Canfield manages to convey several different sentiments, including “WTF” and “I knew this would happen,” all in one shot.
“Oh, I just do what my dad tells me … like you guys.” — Sandi (Hope Davis)
The sickest of burns.
“I don’t do requests because I’m not a DJ. But I hear you.” — Lisa (Sanaa Lathan)
One of my tiny quibbles with this otherwise perfect season of television: It needed more Sanaa Lathan!
“Cold and inhospitable. That seems to check out.” — Shiv (Sarah Snook)
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Shiv’s acute observation while inside a rendering of her mother’s vagina was, at first, hilarious because, well, she was inside a mock-up of her mother’s vagina at her brother’s birthday party. But after watching the brutal season three finale, we now realise that this line is funny because it’s true.
“I feel like I’m taking a shit in the Guggenheim, y’all.” — Stewy (Arian Moayed)
An all-time great one-liner from Stewy when Logan is not an active participant at a meeting but is, of course, watching everyone through the glass windows of the conference room.
“The man dying of thirst is suddenly a mineral water critic?” — Tom
Tom is so mean to Greg, but it’s such a perfect line!
“I may not love you, but I do love you.” — Shiv
Comical but also brutal, one of the defining combinations of what makes Succession so satisfying to watch. Shiv and Tom’s marriage of convenience has always seemed on the verge of collapse, but never more than after everything that happened this season.
“My mom’s getting remarried to a bowl of porridge.” — Roman
The use of food metaphors to describe people on “Succession” is unparalleled. Earlier this season, Logan insults Frank by referring to him as “mashed potatoes.” Caroline describes her fraught relationship with daughter Shiv by explaining that “you’re my onion.” And Kendall snipes at Logan: “You’ve lied so much you don’t even fucking know anymore. Your brain’s scrambled egg, look at you.”
“Fuck it! How bad can it be?” — Willa (Justine Lupe)
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Imagine telling this to the person you’ve agreed to marry! How romantic!
“I didn’t keep track of the exact number of expletives he used, Siobhan, OK? I’m not a fuckometer.” — Roman
The Succession “fuckometer” is through the roof.
“What am I going to do with a soul, anyway? Souls are boring. Boo, souls!” — Cousin Greg
This was somehow more romantic than Connor and Willa agreeing to get married.
“Oh, go on, go on. Fuck off, you nosy fucking pedestrians.” — Logan
Me, to everyone who grumbled about how this season was “boring.” Fuck you and God bless.
Giovanni has been with Strictly since 2015, and despite making it to the final on multiple occasions – including with Debbie McGee, Faye Tozer and Georgia May Foote (with whom he would later begin a romantic relationship that lasted over a year) – the Glitterball trophy has always eluded him.
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That is, until now.
During this year’s final, he and Rose triumphed over John Whaite and Johannes Radebe, with the EastEnders star becoming the first ever Strictly winner with a physical disability.
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The following morning, the Italian dancer revealed a Strictly victory had been every bit worth the wait, in a cheeky Instagram post.
A short clip on his Instagram story showed him lying in bed looking longingly while Christina Perri’s romantic ballad A Thousand Years plays… only for it to be revealed he has the Glitterball trophy on the pillow next to him.
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Giovanni was over the moon to have finally bagged the Glitterball trophy
Instagram/Giovanni Pernice
Meanwhile, Strictly fans on Twitter couldn’t help pointing out Giovanni’s win constitutes another 2021 victory for his home country of Italy, after Eurovision, the Euros and Giuseppe’s triumph in this year’s Great British Bake Off final…
What a fantastic year for Italy 🇮🇹 ! 🏆Strictly Come Dancing 🏆The Great British Bake Off 🏆UEFA European Championship 🏆Eurovision Song Contest ▶️👏A-MA-ZING 🇮🇹 🇬🇧👏◀️ pic.twitter.com/XdCYVbogly
Rose and Giovanni winning #Strictly means that Italy have won this, Bake Off, the 100 metres, Euro 2020, the high jump (with Qatar) and the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest.
After his and Rose’s win, Giovanni said: “I have to say thank you to this beautiful young lady who made all my dreams come true. It took me seven years to get that thing and you became the best dancer, the best teammate I could have asked for, you are a dream so thank you for everything.”
She added: “I just want to say you’re so amazing, you pushed me to believe in myself more than I believed in myself.
“You’re an incredible teacher and a wonderful friend and we have gone through a lot, and I just want you to know you’ve always got a piece of my heart.”
Strictly Come Dancing champion Rose Ayling-Ellis has been hailed as “a shining example to deaf and hearing people alike” by various charities, while her win has been celebrated as “a victory for the deaf community”.
The EastEnders star, who is deaf, has used an interpreter during the series and her Couple’s Choice dance, which she repeated during the final, shared her experiences of deafness and featured a long period of silence.
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Disability equality charity Scope has now has called on more broadcasters to feature disabled people’s talents, saying there is still a long way to go to improve representation of disabled people on TV.
Yes, it’s a TV show. But there are deaf and disabled children at home watching @bbcstrictly tonight saying to themselves “I can do it”. And that’s magical.
Congratulations from all of us at Scope, @RoseAylingEllis. You have done yourself proud 💜
James Taylor, executive director of strategy at the charity, said: “For Rose Ayling-Ellis to have starred week after week on Saturday night prime time – and then lift the glitterball trophy – is a massive step forward.
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“However, there is still a very long way to go until disabled people are featured fairly on screen. There are 14.1 million disabled people in the UK and their lives and stories are not being told.
“Seeing disabled people on TV will only help improve understanding and break down barriers.
“So, the fact that Rose’s journey has been beamed into living rooms week-in week-out is excellent progress and must be the start of real change.
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“We have seen a victory for representation on our screens, challenging the stereotypes of what disabled people can do.
“We want more broadcasters to step up and feature the talents of disabled people.”
Rose also performed a number inspired by Frozen during the live final
BBC/Guy Levy
Mark Atkinson, chief executive at the Royal National Institute for Deaf People, said Rose’s appearance on the show has given audiences “a beautiful insight into the deaf community and deaf culture”.
He added: “Her victory isn’t just a personal achievement, but also a victory for the deaf community.
“She has shown that deaf people can do anything, if society addresses those barriers and provides the right access and support.
“Giovanni has been a perfect example of this, working with Rose and adapting his teaching style to help her succeed.
“At RNID, we are all thrilled that Rose has won, and we are confident that her legacy will mean lasting change for the one in six people who are deaf or have hearing loss.
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“We hope Rose’s success will open up employment opportunities for deaf people and reduce barriers, and we’re excited to see what she will undoubtedly go on to achieve in her future career.”
Rose Ayling-Ellis performing her Strictly show dance
She said: “It’s hard to overstate just what an impact Rose has made, not only on deaf children and young people, but also on the public’s understanding of deafness.
“Throughout her Strictly journey, she’s been a shining example to deaf and hearing people alike.
“This could be a new dawn for deaf children and young people everywhere because it’s clear for all to see that with the right support and the will to succeed, they can aim for the stars.
“Strictly may have come to an end, but we sincerely hope that this surge of interest in deafness and the desire to engage with deaf people continues long into the future.”
AJ Odudu and Kai Widdrington had originally been due to compete in the final, but was forced to withdraw due to a serious injury, meaning the show went ahead with just two competitors.
If you’ve already had enough of cheesy Christmas films and festive TV specials then BBC One might have just the thing to keep you entertained this week.
New four-part thriller The Girl Before is set to air across four consecutive nights in the lead-up to the big day, and it is certainly an antidote to the usual Christmas schmaltz.
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If that sounds like something up your street and you want to know more, here’s what we can tell you about it…
What is The Girl Before about?
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According to the BBC, The Girl Before “tells the story of Jane, who gets the chance to move into a beautiful, ultra-minimalist house designed by an enigmatic architect.
“There’s just one catch: the occupants must abide by his list of exacting rules. Jane starts to feel the house changing her in unexpected ways, but when she makes the shocking discovery about her predecessor Emma (Jessica Plummer), she’s forced to confront unnerving similarities. As the two women’s timelines interweave, Jane begins to question if her fate will be the same as the girl before…”
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Jane moves into One Folgate Street
BBC/42/Amanda Searle
Who is in The Girl Before cast?
Gugu Mbatha-Raw (The Morning Show, Loki, Black Mirror) plays Jane Cavendish, a financial PR exec who takes solace in One Folgate Street.
Having been shell-shocked by a recent trauma, the minimalist house is a retreat from Jane’s strife, and the discipline required to live there chimes with her own work ethic and high standards. However, the mystery of what happened to the girl who lived there before soon begins to consume her.
“She’s incredibly raw on the inside,” Gugu says. “One Folgate Street really explores the opportunity for Jane to have a fresh start, but how all those things are still tormenting her in the house.”
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Gugu Mbatha-Raw plays Jane
BBC/42/Amanda Searle
Jessica Plummer (EastEnders, I’m A Celebrity) plays Emma Matthews, the woman who previously lived at One Folgate Street.
Emma moves into the house at a point in her life where she is unsatisfied with her career and partner, and is still traumatised by two separate acts of violence in her past, which she has always felt too ashamed to share.
Jessica says: “Emma uses distractions as a coping mechanism. She wants to put to bed things that aren’t working anymore and reinvent herself all over again.”
However, while she hopes to find security and safety, her life soon spirals out of control.
Jessica Plummer as Emma
BBC/42/Amanda Searle
David Oyelowo (Selma, Nightingale, Spooks) plays Edward Monkford, the successful but enigmatic architect of One Folgate Street. Edward is described as being such a perfectionist that the slightest flaw in his surroundings causes him almost physical pain, while his grief has manifested itself into the extreme minimalism present in his architecture.
“He also has this fascinating condition called repetition compulsion,” David explains.
“In speaking to some therapists for research, I found that we all have a certain degree of this going through life and either making the same mistakes or making some of the same choices – basically habitually finding ourselves in situations that may or may not be healthy for us… It was intriguing to explore that, but then also the concept of this guy who is trying to control his life, manipulate his life, be fully in the driving seat of his life to a very unhealthy degree.”
Viewers will be left wondering if Edward is dangerous, or merely damaged, and whether he is a victim, or a killer…
David Oyelowo plays Edward
BBC/42/Amanda Searle
Ben Hardy (Bohemian Rhapsody, X-Men: Apocalypse, EastEnders) plays Simon Wakefield, Emma’s partner. He suspects Emma is out of his league and will do anything to make her feel he’s “the one” for her.
“He’s very much a beta to Edward’s alpha male,” Ben says. “The character is very submissive… he beats himself up for being so submissive because he wants to be the alpha.”
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Ben Hardy plays Simon
BBC/42/Amanda Searle
What book is The Girl Before based on?
The Girl Before has been adapted for TV from the the 2016 novel of the same name by author JP Delaney.
After the book’s release, it became an instant New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller and sold over a million copies in 40 countries.
The writer has also published titles including The Perfect Wife, Believe Me and Playing Nice.
JP Delaney is a pseudonym with the same author having also published the Carnivia trilogy under the name Jonathan Holt, and titles including The Food Of Love, The Wedding Officer and Undressing under the name Anthony Capella.
The show airs over four nights from Sunday
BBC/42/Amanda Searle
How does the TV adaptation differ to the book?
According to JP Delaney, who also worked on the script for the TV series, it is “simpler” plot-wise than the book as some of the “twists and turns” had to be cut out. That said, he assures readers that the show has ended up being “very similar as an overall plot”.
However, he notes that the main difference is that the book “is very much within its genre” as a thriller, so is “all about the plot and pace”, whereas the TV series is “more nuanced and character-driven than the book”.
“In TV, you have a chance to unpack people’s characters a bit more… That’s been one of the most fun things about doing it,” he adds.
When is The Girl Before on?
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The Girl Before airs from Sunday 19 to Wednesday 22 December at 9pm on BBC One, with episodes available to stream on iPlayer.
Strictly Come Dancing star Anton Du Beke has said he hopes to retain his seat on the panel in the future as his first year as an official judge comes to an end.
Having made no secret of his hopes to become a Strictly judge in the past, the former long-serving professional finally got his wish this year, when he was recruited to fill in for Bruno Tonioli, who couldn’t take part in the show due to travel restrictions.
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With the series almost over, viewers are now questioning whether Anton – who has been well-received by most Strictly fans – could be kept on as a full-time judge, which he seems quite in favour of.
Reflecting on how he’s found judging Strictly, he joked to Metro: “I’ve loved coming back every week. I’ll carry on judging, please.”
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When asked whether he’d missed dancing, he added: “I have a bit, especially when I see a number that I wish I’d done. When Tom Fletcher danced a foxtrot to Fly Me To The Moon I wanted to nudge him out of the way and have a dance, although I don’t think he’d have appreciated that.
“But then I’m not missing the bit where they go, ‘And not dancing next week is…’.”
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The Strictly Come Dancing judging panel pictured last week
Earlier this week, the sharp-tongued star said Anton had been “a great addition” to the panel, explaining: “He knows the process of working with celebrities inside out, he’s been there.
“Particularly with celebs that haven’t been ‘gifted’, he’s had to manoeuvre them around that dance floor – and he’s been with great dancers, where he could show off his talents.
“Armed with all that information, he’s showing great empathy for the celebs,” Craig added. “He’s more lenient than me. And he’s funny. Long may it continue, he’s a good egg, Anton.”
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This year’s Strictly final airs on Saturday night at 7pm on BBC One.
Dancing On Ice’s return to our screns is still over a month away, but training for the show has already got off to a bad start for Brendan Cole.
The former Strictly Come Dancing professional has revealed he was taken to hospital while training for the launch show, which will air in January.
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Brendan is one of 12 skating stars taking to the ice next year and has been practicing his moves on the rink with professional partner Vanessa Bauer.
However, he ended up needing medical attention for concussion after a fall on the ice.
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Speaking to the Daily Star, he said: “I was on the ice and I took my mind off what I was doing for a second. I turned – and that’s the last thing I remember.
“I was taken to hospital and ended up with a concussion. When I realised what had happened, I was horrified.
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“What happened made me realise you have to be 100% focused when you’re on the ice. The moment you switch off, you make silly mistakes. It has been a great learning curve.
“It made me think, ‘Don’t do that again, as this is really dangerous’. The other day I was on the ice and had 20 minutes left of my training session, but I knew I was running out of steam and could start making mistakes.”
He continued: “That’s dangerous, especially when you’re doing it with a partner and their safety is your responsibility. So I decided I’d done enough training and it was time to go.”
The accident came just days after Brendan accidentally cut Vanessa’s back with his skating blade during training.
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Brendan is one of 12 stars taking to the ice next year
It’s been announced that four members of the much-loved Channel 4 drama will be coming together to compete in a one-off special of the Great British Bake Off.
It’s A Sin aired on Channel 4 at the beginning of this year and quickly won huge praise from both viewers and critics for its depiction of a group of young friends affected by the AIDS crisis in the early 1990s.
An airdate for the It’s A Sin/Bake Off crossover is yet to be confirmed, with a second Bake Off special featuring former contestants also set to air over the Christmas period.
Returning to the tent for a string of festive challenges will be Kim-Joy and Jon from season nine, and Hermine and Rowan, both of whom previously competed on last year’s series.
The current series of the Great British Bake Off is airing on Tuesdays at 8pm on Channel 4.
Ed Sheeran has admitted appearing in Game Of Thrones was “bittersweet” after receiving a backlash to his cameo.
The singer popped up in the seventh series of the hit fantasy drama as a Lannister soldier who serenaded Maisie Williams’ character Arya Stark after meeting in the woods en route to King’s Landing.
Addressing the reaction during an interview with Dave Berry on Absolute Radio, Ed said: “Game of Thrones was like bittersweet because I feel like I pissed off a lot of people by being in that, but anytime I meet someone that is like ‘oh you cameoed on that show’ I’m like what would you say? Like everyone would say yes. I was a fan of the show, they asked me to be in it.
“I didn’t expect there to be that much backlash but I am definitely like more careful when I am offered cameos now.”
HBOEd Sheeran and Maisie Williams
In an interview with HuffPost, Kristian Nairn told HuffPost: “I’m not a fan of the cameos in Game of Thrones. I don’t like them. I think it’s stupid. I don’t mind going on the record on that. I just think it takes you right out of the world. Especially Ed Sheeran.
“I was like, ‘Why is Ed Sheeran here?’ I mean, Ed Sheeran’s great. He’s a great guy, great musician, but why is he in Game of Thrones?”
He added: “I’m being tactful here, but just not a fan of the cameo. I think most people would agree with me there. It was a big snap to reality. It’s like, ‘What? What?’”
There were previously reports that Ed left Twitter because of the reaction to the cameo, but he denied that was the case, saying he had always planned to abandon the platform and his cameo was “clearly fuckin’ awesome.”
