On TV tonight, there's the first of two brilliant festive episodes as The Great British Sewing Bee: Celebrity Christmas Special arrives on BBC1, Si and Dave are also feeling festive in their Yuletide special The Hairy Bikers Go North for Christmas on BBC2 and over on C4 Fred welcomes more singletons in First Dates at Christmas. Here’s what you shouldn’t miss on TV tonight.
- Our hand selected recommendations for what's on TV tonight include three TV shows, a film, live sport and the latest trending need-to-binge-on-now box set
- Keep up to date with the latest soap spoiler storylines on TV tonight with our daily soap synopsis
- For more information about what’s on TV tonight see our TV Guide
What's on TV tonight
Our expert TV journalists have picked the best things on TV tonight...
Best TV shows on TV tonight
The Great British Sewing Bee: Celebrity Christmas Special, 8pm, BBC1
There’s a new host and sewing room for this Christmas special, as comedian Sara Pascoe presents from Leeds, with four celeb stitchers hoping to impress judges Esme Young and Patrick Grant. Broadcaster Anneka Rice, Ghosts’ Kiell Smith-Bynoe, Corrie star Antony Cotton and Rev Kate Bottley are asked to make a sweatshirt, a fancy-dress costume and an outfit from Christmas past. While Antony knows his way around a sewing machine, Anneka is lost. ‘I’m really better at building a community centre or something….’
★★★★★ JL
The Hairy Bikers Go North for Christmas, 8pm, BBC2
This is a delicious addition to the festive schedules as Si and Dave gather the ingredients for a seasonal feast from the best artisan food producers along the Pennines. This is no ordinary Christmas dinner, as the bikers are catering for three generations of their families and want to delight with a menu that satisfies all tastes, including turkey doner kebabs, gourmet marshmallows and flavour-packed Christmas puds.
★★★★ JL
First Dates at Christmas, 9pm, C4
With a jobbing Santa and a pantomime actor looking for love, get ready for the most Christmassy First Dates ever. Fred hopes there will be festive magic ahead for the romance seekers, including 25-year-old ‘Santa’ Dan, panto star and charity worker John and religious studies teacher Loy, who lost her father to COVID-19 and hopes this Christmas will be more joyful than the last. Will there be kisses under the mistletoe?
★★★★★ NH
Best box set to watch on TV tonight
The Witcher, season 2, Netflix
The epic fantasy show returns for a second series, picking up following the devastating Battle of Sodden. With monster-hunter Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill) grieving the loss of Yennefer, he’s forced to take Princess Cirilla (Freya Allan) to his childhood home of Kaer Morhen to protect her from the Continent’s kings, elves, humans and demons striving for supremacy, as well as from her own strange powers of foresight. Look out for a cracking new guest cast, including Simon Callow and Silent Witness star Liz Carr as eccentric legal team Codringher and Fenn, who may be able to reveal something about Cirilla’s mysterious bloodline.
Best film to watch on TV tonight
Crazy Rich Asians, 10.35pm, BBC1
New Yorker Rachel (Constance Wu) gets a shock when she accompanies her long-time boyfriend Nick (Henry Golding) to his best friend's wedding in Singapore. He hasn't let on to her that he comes from a fabulously rich family – and that he is the highly eligible bachelor heir to their enormous fortune. Based on Kevin Kwan's 2013 bestseller, this breezy romantic comedy is Hollywood's first all-Asian-cast film since The Joy Luck Club a quarter of a century ago. It is a decidedly old-fashioned affair but rarely less than endearing, thanks in large measure to its charming leads and a colourful supporting cast, including Michelle Yeon as Nick's elegantly frosty mother and Gemma Chan as his beautiful cousin, plus a pair of barnstorming comic turns from Ken Jeong and Awkwafina as members of a cheerfully vulgar (and surprisingly loveable) nouveau riche family.
Live Sport
- EFL Cup, Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United, 7pm (k-o 7.45pm), Sky Sports Main Event/NOW
Soaps on TV tonight
- Emmerdale, 7pm, ITV
- Coronation Street, 7.30pm & 8.30pm, ITV
- Hollyoaks, 6.30pm, C4
If you watch just one thing on TV tonight…
Don't miss The Great British Sewing Bee: Celebrity Christmas Special on TV tonight – great festive fun.
Not found anything you want to watch on TV tonight? Check out our TV Guide.
Happy viewing!
