BBC1

BBC One’s new Christmas drama Stuffed has been branded “iconic” by fans

A hidden treasure of a comedy on the BBC, hailed as “brilliant” by viewers, is set to air tonight.

Stuffed, starring Guz Khan and Morgana Robinson, is a comedy-drama that follows a family embarking on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Lapland.

Khan portrays Arslan Farooqi, who, after receiving an unexpected £8,000 Christmas bonus at work, decides to take his multi-faith family on this festive adventure.

Joined by his wife Hannah (played by Robinson), his two daughters, and brother-in-law Jamie, they trade Coventry for the enchantment of Christmas in Lapland.

However, their holiday soon descends into chaos when Arslan discovers that his bonus was given in error and needs to be returned, reports Wales Online.

The BBC’s synopsis teases: “Things go downhill fast when Arslan finds out the bonus was a mistake, and to make matters worse, they have already spent every penny of it.

“What ensues is one man’s quest to salvage a Christmas he doesn’t believe in, while ideally not losing his job, his family, and everything he has ever worked for. And surprise, surprise, it doesn’t go too smoothly.”

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The film can be streamed on BBC iPlayer and will also be broadcast on BBC One tonight at 9pm.

One enthusiastic fan recommended: “If you’ve not watched it yet, try Stuffed on the iPlayer. Brilliant new addition to the Christmas film list. Guz Khan is brilliant.”

Another viewer gushed: “Absolutely loved Stuffed on BBC iPlayer with my fav man @GuzKhanOfficial, him and Morgana are a dream team working together.”

Another viewer chimed in: “Loved it, hope some more will follow!” while a fourth echoed: “We need a regular series for this! Loved it made me laugh throughout.”

One enthusiastic fan declared: “This is iconic on tv I didn’t know what to watch during the Christmas holidays, same old home alone and polar express but this… is perhaps the best drama I’ve seen.”

Guz had previously shared his apprehensions about Stuffed’s release with The Guardian, saying: “You never know when you make something. I never thought we’d ever be in this kind of slot. There’s lots of things that come along with doing a Christmas special.”

He continued: “A lot of the work I get asked to do is like: ‘Come in and do your thing.’ I just did season two of The Gentlemen, and it was such a fun week. There’s no rules. You can go absolutely crazy.

“But this was a little bit different. You have to follow some guidelines. And so it was a really good challenge for me. Where I’d usually express myself with dialogue, I had to try and get the same feeling with an expression.”

Stuffed airs on BBC One tonight at 9pm and is available to watch on iPlayer.

Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman are leaving Strictly Come Dancing the 2025 series draws to a close

Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman’s “true feelings: about leaving Strictly Come Dancing might have been uncovered.

The beloved hosting duo shocked fans back in October when they announced that they would be stepping down from the programme at the end of the current series.

They have fronted the BBC programme together since 2014, with Claudia replacing Sir Bruce Forsyth, who presented the original series with Tess from 2004.

Tess previously took to Instagram to share a statement, and was showered in support from fans and friends alike. She wrote: “After 21 unforgettable years, the time has come to say goodbye to Strictly Come Dancing.”

The star added: “This isn’t a goodbye to glitter, sequins, or Saturday night sparkle (I could never say goodbye to those!). Strictly will forever hold a special place in my heart – but it does feel like the right time to hand over the reins.”

Tess and Claudia will present their last live show tonight (Saturday, December 20), as Strictly returns to screens for this year’s grand final. The pair will then appear on the show’s festive special on Christmas Day, where they will take part in a memorable performance.

Now, a body language expert has examined Tess and Claudia’s recent TV appearances and pointed to subtle gestures that hint at unease behind the scenes.

Speaking on behalf of Betfair Casino, Darren Stanton explained that the pair’s body language suggests that they are nervous ahead of their Strictly exit.

“What stands out for me when I watch Tess and Claudia discuss their departure in interviews is how their posture, voices, and micro-expressions always soften more than usual. It’s clear they are masking a good deal of emotion beneath a very controlled surface. From a body-language perspective, it doesn’t read like a light or casual decision,” he said.

“There are clear signs of nerves from both of them about the future, visible in subtle cues such as lip biting, the way they look at each other, and how they turn toward one another when discussing their departure, almost as if they are operating as a single unit.

“It doesn’t seem to be apprehension about the future itself, but about the difficulty of leaving something familiar.

“Tess, who has been part of the show for a long time, shows small gestures and micro expressions of nerves, like wringing her hands. Claudia shows similar gestures, proving that they both feel the impact of leaving the show.”

Since the announcement of Tess and Claudia’s exits, speculation has been swirling over who could step into their shoes, with Zoe Ball, Janette Manrara, Fleur East and Rylan Clark all in the running.

Tonight, Karen Carney, Amber Davies and George Clarke will battle it out for the chance to lift this year’s Glitterball Trophy. They will each perform three dances in the hopes of impressing the judges and voting public. These include a Showdance, Judges’ Choice, and their favourite routine from the series.

Strictly Come Dancing is available to stream on BBC iPlayer

Here’s what you need to know about potential changes to the BBC TV Licence

An annual fee in the UK could be replaced by “sliding scale” payment rates going forward. The BBC TV Licence could be due for some major changes.

The UK Government will examine reforms to the TV licence fee and explore additional commercial revenue streams for the BBC as part of proposals set out in its Royal charter review. The BBC’s existing charter, which spans a decade, concludes in December 2027.

The yearly licence fee has endured extensive examination under the previous Conservative administration, remaining static at £159 for two years before rising in April 2024 and again in April 2025 to £174.50, aligned with inflation rates.

As reported by the Daily Record, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has previously indicated she might be receptive to substituting the fixed licence fee with a graduated payment system. A fresh public consultation regarding these reforms has been initiated alongside the Green Paper and remains accessible until March 10, 2026.

The charter establishes the BBC’s public mission and serves as the constitutional foundation for the corporation, which is primarily financed through the licence fee, collected from UK households that watch television.

The Green Paper, outlining prospective BBC reforms was released on Tuesday and “consults on a wide range of options being considered for the future of the BBC”.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) stated the UK Government will examine whether licence-fee reductions require updating, possibilities for the BBC to create additional commercial income, and funding alternatives for the World Service to ensure sustainable financing for minority-language broadcasting. Lisa Nandy expressed: “We want the BBC to continue to enrich people’s lives, tell Britain’s story and showcase our values and culture at home and overseas, long into the future.

“My aims for the charter review are clear. The BBC must remain fiercely independent, accountable and be able to command public trust. It must reflect the whole of the UK, remain an engine for economic growth and be funded in a way that is sustainable and fair for audiences.

“As a Government, we will ensure that this charter review is the catalyst that helps the BBC adapt to a rapidly changing media landscape and secures its role at the heart of national life.”

Options in the Green Paper the government is considering and seeking views on in this area include:

• Strengthening the BBC’s independence so the public continues to have trust in the organisation and its programmes and content, including considering the government’s role in board appointments
• Updating the BBC’s Mission and Public Purposes to give accuracy equal importance alongside impartiality and improving transparency of editorial decision-making to ensure the BBC explains journalistic processes and how its coverage evolves, especially during high profile events
• Giving the BBC new responsibilities to counter mis/disinformation, potentially alongside additional requirements on media literacy to help the public navigate technological change and develop digital skills, including around AI
• Introducing specific duties around workplace conduct to ensure BBC staff are protected and the organisation sets the standard for the rest of the sector to follow – including new responsibilities for the BBC Board to ensure action is taken against workplace misconduct

The DCMS said: “A BBC that is sustainably funded for decades to come to support its vital public service role.”

Options the UK Government is considering and seeking views on in this area include:

• Reform of the licence fee, whether licence fee concessions should be updated, and options for the BBC to generate more commercial revenue
• Options for funding the World Service and supporting sustainable funding for minority language broadcasting, including S4C
• Options the government is considering and seeking views on in this area include:
• Placing a new obligation on the BBC to drive economic growth, build skills and support the creative economy across the UK
• Ways in which the BBC can further support the production sector across the nations and regions, including by ensuring budgets and decision-making power for commissioners are spread across the UK, and by supporting minority language broadcasting
• Empowering the BBC to be an ethical and economic leader in adapting to new digital technologies, and enabling it to invest in Research and Development to support growth and drive public service benefits
• Encouraging the BBC to deliver more through collaborations and partnerships for growth and public value outcomes, including with organisations across the creative economy, and with local news outlets

Public consultation

People across the UK are being encouraged to give their views on the UK Government’s Green Paper public consultation and answer a set of questions.

Responses will be used to help inform policy changes which will be set out in a White Paper expected to be published in 2026.

You can view the consultation on GOV.UK.

Death in Paradise star Don Gilet has opened up on returning to the BBC drama for the Christmas special

Death in Paradise star Don Gilet has expressed his delight at reprising his role, admitting “It was great to come back”.

The actor, 58, joined the BBC drama as DI Mervin Wilson last year, following in the footsteps of previous stars such as Ben Miller and Ralf Little.

Now, he’s eagerly awaiting the 2025 Christmas special and shared his feelings about returning to the role, confessing it was “slightly daunting”.

“It felt good. Slightly daunting, but in a positive sense because you want to do the same again, if not better,” he revealed in a BBC interview ahead of his return. “I jokingly describe it as the second album, the first album went really well, but you can’t rest on your laurels and be complacent, there’s still more audience out there to win over.”

He continued: “So, I went out to Guadeloupe with a renewed appetite. It was great to come back and reconnect with the characters and the actors,” reports the Express.

Discussing what fans can expect from the festive special, Don promised “plenty of humour, but even more heart”.

He elaborated: “It pushes and pulls emotionally and comedically in equal measure. Mervin faces far more antagonism, and things are a lot more challenging for him, especially now he knows there’s a half-brother out there to find.

“But you can still get cosy, sip your Baileys and enjoy another great Death in Paradise Christmas special,” he added.

The forthcoming special presents one of the team’s most perplexing cases yet, as a victim is found dead in a swimming pool on Saint Marie, whilst the murder weapon was locked away in a drawer back in England at the time of the killing, leaving detectives completely stumped.

This comes as Don recently spoke candidly about the “pressure” of filling the boots of previous stars as the latest detective on the show.

During his stint on BBC The One Show on Monday (December 16) evening, he confessed to Alex and co-host Roman Kemp: “I feel the pressure doing this. I’ve said this before, it feels like the second album, you know the first one went well, I was the replacement like a replacement Doctor Who and people have their favourites prior to that.

“So there’s always this sense of ‘well is he going to be as good as…’ are people going to switch off, but luckily no one has switched off yet but you’ve got to come back and do it again and better so I’m not resting on my laurels.

“I do feel a bit pressure but it’s an enjoyable pressure. I love coming back and doing more of the same but with something a bit extra.”

Death In Paradise Christmas special airs on BBC One on Sunday, December 28 at 8.30pm.