Christmas 2025: A guide to the best festive quiz show specials to tune into

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This Christmas, BBC, ITV, and Channel 4 are offering viewers special festive editions of their favorite quiz shows.

If you enjoy quiz shows like Richard Osman’s House of Games or Lee Mack’s The 1% Club, there are plenty of options to keep you entertained this Christmas.

This Christmas, enjoy heartwarming stories of celebrities giving back and helping others. You’ll see famous personalities joining forces with everyday people, all while supporting important charities and giving someone the chance to win a life-changing amount of money.

I’m already planning my Christmas TV viewing, and I’m excited to share where you can find some really fun and challenging puzzles and brain teasers this holiday season!

BBC One

Blankety Blank

When? 20th December at 6:20pm

Blankety Blank is back for a hilarious Christmas special, with Bradley Walsh back at the helm.

Over the holiday week, he’ll be welcoming Daniel Mays, Charlotte Church, Jack Dee, Alex Brooker, Motsi Mabuse, and Stephanie Beacham.

QI

When? 23rd December at 9pm

For the QI Christmas special, Julian Clary, Fatiha El-Ghorri, Jimmy Carr, and Alan Davies join Sandi Toksvig in a festive winter setting.

The Weakest Link

When? 25th December at 4:45pm

Romesh Ranganathan will be joining a celebrity lineup for a special festive edition of The Weakest Link, bringing his signature humor to the show.

This year’s event will feature performances by Lou Sanders, Martine McCutcheon, David O’Doherty, Ade Adepitan, Ross King, Jess Wright, Eddie Kadi, and Blu Hydrangea.

The contestants will initially team up to compete for a prize of up to £50,000 for each of their selected charities in a famous quiz show.

Each episode, the contestants will vote one player as the weakest, and that person will be eliminated without winning any money.

Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel

When? 25th December at 6:45pm

Get ready for a Christmas special of Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel! This year, eight celebrity guests will share their Christmas expertise to help three famous contestants win as much money as possible.

Richard Osman, Mel Giedroyc, and Paddy McGuinness are competing as celebrities on the show, trying to win money for their favorite charities.

Joining the show to help with questions are Gyles Brandreth, Josie Gibson, Big Narstie, Tim Vine, Zara McDermott, Nitro from Gladiators, and Gavin & Stacey stars Matthew Horne and Joanna Page.

Would I Lie to You Christmas Special

When? 26th December at 7pm

Rob Brydon returns to host a special holiday version of the panel show, joined once again by team captains David Mitchell and Lee Mack.

David Mitchell will be performing with Jools Holland and Swarzy Shire, and Lee Mack will be joined by Helen George and David Walliams.

BBC Two

Richard Osman’s Festive House of Games

When? 22nd December at 7pm

This week on Richard Osman’s Festive House of Games, Mathew Baynton, Mel Giedroyc, Harriet Kemsley, and Charles Venn will be competing to show off their knowledge in a series of fun challenges.

Alex Brooker, Rhys Darby, Joanna Page, and Molly Rainford kick off the new year with a week of fun, festive trivia challenges.

University Challenge

When? 22nd December at 8:30pm

This year’s holiday University Challenge is a special all-star version of the quiz show, bringing back popular teams and contestants from all fourteen series.

The holiday season of matches begins with a game between Durham, the champions from Christmas 2024, and Manchester, who finished second in season 10.

ITV

Bullseye

When? 25th December at 8:15pm

Freddie Flintoff hosts a competition where three pairs of contestants – a darts player and a teammate – compete against each other. The darts player does the throwing, while their partner provides the knowledge.

This Christmas, I’m really excited to see Freddie Flintoff team up with darts superstar Michael van Gerwen! They’re taking on a charity challenge together, and I can’t wait to see what they get up to – all for a good cause, of course.

The 1% Club

When? 25th December at 9:15pm

Lee Mack is hosting a special Christmas version of The 1% Club where all the questions are about the holidays. One hundred contestants are competing for a chance to win up to £100,000 and make their Christmas extra special.

Romesh Ranganathan’s Parents’ Evening

When? 25th December at 10:15pm

This special holiday episode pairs celebrities with their parents! Larry Lamb and his son George, Motsi Mabuse and her mum Dudu, and Josh Widdicombe and his dad Tom will all compete. The parents get to pick the questions, and they’ll bet on how well their adult children do answering them.

Celebrity Who Wants to be a Millionaire?

When? 26th December at 9pm

I’m really excited to watch Joe Marler and Katherine Ryan on The Traitors! They’re both playing for charity, and I’m hoping they can successfully navigate the game and win a lot of money for the causes they care about.

Wheel of Fortune

When? 27th December at 7:30pm

Graham Norton presents a special holiday version of Wheel of Fortune. Contestants include Craig and his daughter Erin, plus two mother-daughter teams – Sue and Kaye, and Sheesh and Suki – all hoping to win a £50,000 prize.

Ant & Dec’s Limitless Win

When? 27th December at 8:30pm

Ant and Dec brought the Christmas spirit by giving two audience members a chance to compete for cash on the ladder challenge. This year is different, though – they’ll be teaming up with celebrities like Amanda Holden and Jamie Redknapp to help them win!

Channel 4

8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown

When? 24th December at 9pm

Jimmy Carr presents a special holiday version of the comedy quiz show where teams compete using words and numbers. This episode features Jon Richardson and Daisy May Cooper against Rob Beckett and Judi Love.

Katie Norris is joining the show in Dictionary Corner, with Rachel Riley and Susie Dent, the show’s usual experts, there to help with the scoring and definitions.

Big Fat Quiz of the Year

When? 26th December at 9pm

Jimmy Carr hosts a quiz show where comedians Jonathan Ross, Richard Ayoade, Katherine Ryan, Nick Mohammed, Roisin Conaty, and Lou Sanders compete to prove who remembers the most from the past year.

Authors

Katelyn MensahSenior Entertainment Writer

Katelyn Mensah writes about entertainment for TopMob, covering everything from popular TV shows and reality competitions to important documentaries. Before joining TopMob, she worked at The Tab, where she reported on reality TV and celebrity news. Katelyn has a degree in Journalism.

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2025-12-19 18:19