Stephen Fry to give Alternative Christmas Message on Channel 4
In the past, the message has been delivered by Danny Dyer and John Bercow.
Since 1993, Channel 4 has broadcast the Alternative Christmas Message, which often airs at the same time as the traditional King's (formerly Queen's) speech.
In previous years, it has been delivered by Edward Snowden, John Bercow and, more recently, Ameca, one of the world's most advanced robots.
This year, the message will be delivered by a familiar face to many, with an impassioned plea to recognise and call out anti-Semitism.
Read on for everything you need to know about this year's Alternative Christmas Message and who will be delivering it.
Who is delivering the Alternative Christmas Message 2023?
Actor and comedian Stephen Fry will be delivering the Alternative Christmas Message this year.
In his message, Fry will reveal he has been driven to overtly claim his Jewish heritage in order to stand up to anti-Semitism and "hateful abuse".
In the deeply personal speech, Fry celebrates how far Britain has come in accepting and tolerating difference since his youth.
He reveals that when he was growing up, he feared he would not be accepted for his sexuality, but that he never suspected it would be his Jewish heritage that would make him afraid of how others behaved.
"One truth about myself, however, that I never thought for one single second would ever be an issue about which I had any cause to worry in this country, was that I'm a Jew," he says.
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In a plea of solidarity, Fry calls on everyone to stand up to anti-Semitism as we would any form of racism.
He says: "Standing upright means speaking up and calling out venomous slurs and hateful abuse wherever you encounter them.
"Knowing and loving this country as I do, I don't believe that most Britons are OK living in a society that judges hatred of Jews to be the one acceptable form of racism.
"So speak up, stand with us, be proud to be Jewish or Jew-ish - or, if not Jewish at all, proud to have us as much a part of this great nation as any other minority, as any of you."
How can I watch the Alternative Christmas Message 2023?
The Alternative Christmas Message will be broadcast at 5:10pm on Christmas Day (Monday 25th December) on Channel 4.
The Alternative Christmas Message will air at 5:10pm Christmas Day on Channel 4.
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Authors
Katelyn Mensah is the Entertainment and Factual Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.
