BBC wins Christmas ratings war with ITV as under fire broadcaster claims nine out of ten top spots despite string of scandals
It may have been embroiled in some controversy, but the BBC beat rival ITV in the Christmas Day ratings war.
The Beeb occupied nine of the top ten spots among most-watched festive television programmes; even the weather forecast has eclipsed ITV’s most-watched programme.
The King’s Christmas Speech attracted the biggest attention, attracting 4.5 million viewers, while newcomer Amandaland did well with 3 million viewers.
The animation The Scarecrow’s Wedding was also a surprise hit, finishing second with 4.3 million viewers; It’s only marginally ahead of Strictly Come Dancing’s 4.2 million viewers.
But in a worrying trend for traditional publishers, the number of people opening the box is down significantly from last year.
In 2024, Gavin And Stacey’s audience reached 12.5 million, while Wallace & Gromit attracted 10 million viewers on Christmas Day.
Similarly, entertainment and drama have proven to be the BBC’s strongest weapons this year. The Wheel with 3.7 million viewers and Call The Midwife with 3.4 million viewers were also among the top 10 of 2025.
And in the biggest shocker, BBC Weather outperformed ITV’s top-seeded The 1% Club, which came in tenth place with 2.7 million viewers, with 2.8 million viewers.
Newcomer Amandaland was well placed with 3 million viewers, while the BBC occupied nine of the top ten spots among most-watched festive television programmes.
As the BBC beats rival ITV in the Christmas Day ratings war, even weather forecasts cast a shadow over ITV’s most-watched programme.
The King’s Christmas Speech attracted the biggest attention, attracting 4.5 million viewers
As Christmas Day drew to a close, figures revealed that the BBC had repeated last year’s success, removing nine of its ten most-watched programmes.
The ratings will no doubt be a relief for BBC bosses after an extremely difficult period for the controversy-plagued broadcaster. It has been rocked by high-profile sexual misconduct scandals, including the conviction of former newsreader Huw Edwards for making indecent images of children and a re-examination of her historic relationship with Russell Brand, who has denied numerous allegations including rape and sexual assault.
And the BBC faced intense backlash for its Panorama coverage of Donald Trump during the 2021 Capitol Riots.
Just ten days before Christmas, the US President filed a $10 billion lawsuit after it was revealed that his speech during the event was rigged.
Strictly’s strong performance follows what has been considered a challenging year for the fan-favourite series, following months of scrutiny and investigations into drug use and behind-the-scenes abuse.
During the festival episode, presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman left the program. Wearing festive white and cream outfits, Daly, 56, and Winkleman, 53, shared an emotional embrace and dance as the celebrity contestants applauded.
Ending the show, Daly told the audience: ‘Thank you again for tuning in over the years. ‘This really meant the world to us.’
Gogglebox star Scarlett Moffatt (35) and professional partner Vito Coppola (33) became Christmas champions after scoring 40 points from the cha cha cha.
All Saints singer Melanie Blatt, 50, who also performed in the Christmas special, has reportedly taken a big step towards replacing Daly and Winkleman.
The duo announced their exit by publishing a joint video on Instagram in October, saying that it was time to ‘pass the baton’.
