Most-watched Christmas TV shows confirmed – Gavin & Stacey, Wallace & Gromit and more ranked

Christmas Day's episode of Call the Midwife and the Outnumbered Christmas special both got over 7 million viewers, coming in third and fourth place respectively, while Call the Midwife's second episode got 6.5 million.

The top 10 was rounded out by Doctor Who's Christmas special in sixth with 6.9 million, The King's Christmas broadcast in seventh with 5.6 million, the second EastEnders Christmas Day episode in eighth with 5.5 million, the first EastEnders Christmas Day episode in ninth with 5.4 million, and the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special in 10th with 5.3 million.

Notably, all of the top 10 programmes were aired on BBC One.

Further down the list, Beyond Paradise, The Split, Strike and Tiddler also ranked for the BBC, while ITV's The 1% Club and Coronation Street, and Netflix's Squid Game, were the only programmes to appear in the top 20 from other broadcasters.

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The BBC had already confirmed that Gavin & Stacey's finale had become the UK’s most-watched scripted show across all broadcasters and streamers since current records began in 2002, beating the show’s own record from the 2019 Christmas special, which reached 18.5 million viewers in 28 days.

The broadcaster has said that the finale is on track to reach over 20 million views in the 28-day period.

This year was notable for big returning shows, with Outnumbered also receiving high viewership.

While Gavin & Stacey has firmly come to an end according to creators James Corden and Ruth Jones, the cast and creators of Outnumbered have been less certain, suggesting future catch-ups with the Brockman family could be on the cards.

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