Christmas Day television viewing in the UK slumped to some of its lowest levels in ten years, despite Strictly Come Dancing securing a spot at the top of the festive ratings. The overnight figures for 25 December 2025 painted a stark picture of declining linear TV audiences, with even the traditional King's Speech attracting its smallest audience since 2016.
A Festive Schedule Fails to Captivate
Following a standout year for festive TV in 2024, led by hits like Gavin and Stacey: The Finale, this year's offerings prompted dismay from viewers. The much-discussed schedule, which many felt lacked standout event programming, translated directly into poor ratings. The vast majority of shows attracted well over half the viewers of the previous year's successes.
The King's Speech, broadcast on both BBC and ITV, topped the day's list but with only 6 million viewers. This was lower than the 6.8 million it drew in 2024 and marked its poorest performance in nearly a decade. In a telling sign of the broader trend, it was also the first year in ten that the programme in second place failed to reach 5 million viewers.
Strictly Shines in a Dim Line-Up
The Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special, which was the final show hosted by Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, managed to cut through the gloom. It came in a close third with 4.2 million viewers, just behind the BBC's adaptation of The Scarecrows' Wedding at 4.3 million.
The BBC dominated the overall top 10, claiming nine out of ten spots. The middle of the chart was filled by familiar titles: Michael McIntyre's The Wheel (3.7m), Call the Midwife (3.4m), a Gladiators Christmas Special (3.2m), and the Amandaland Christmas Special (3.1m). The list was rounded out by EastEnders (2.8m), ITV's The 1% Club (2.7m), and The Weakest Link (2.6m).
Broadcasters Respond to Changing Tides
In response to the figures, Kate Phillips, the BBC's Chief Content Officer, defended the broadcaster's output. 'We’re proud of the fact that people come together on the BBC at Christmas,' she stated. '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.'
She also pointed to future highlights, including new series of The Traitors and The Night Manager in early 2026. The BBC also noted a significant success story from the festive period outside of Christmas Day: the consolidated figures for Celebrity Traitors showed it pulled in an average audience of 15 million across the nation.
The record-low ratings have sparked a wider conversation about the future of traditional Christmas TV. As viewers increasingly migrate to streaming services like Netflix, the pressure mounts on UK broadcasters to create must-watch event television that can draw families back to the linear schedule on December 25th.
