What's On TV Tonight: Saturday 13th December 2025
Saturday night at its peak. Strictly's down to the final four battling for a spot in next week's grand finale - Claudia and Tess's last hurrah before Christmas. Meanwhile, ITV's throwing a pop party with Kylie and Ed Sheeran, BBC Two's doing a full Wham! tribute evening, and Will Ferrell's yelling about cotton-headed ninny muggins on Sky.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks: Tonight's Best
- Strictly Come Dancing - Semi-finals! Four couples, two dances each, one glitterball dream (6:35pm, BBC One) ⭐
- Capital's Jingle Bell Ball 2025 - Kylie, Ed Sheeran, Raye and more from the O2 (4:50pm, ITV1)
- Christmas Hits: The Videos That Sleighed - The stories behind the festive video classics (8:05pm, BBC Two)
- Elf - Will Ferrell's festive comedy is an annual must (8:05pm, Sky Showcase)
Early Evening (4pm - 7pm)
Capital's Jingle Bell Ball 2025 - ITV1, 4:50pm
The O2's annual pop spectacular. Kylie Minogue headlines alongside Ed Sheeran, Raye, Anne-Marie and Leigh-Anne. Also on the bill: Cat Burns, Mimi Webb, Rizzle Kicks (yes, they're back), Louis Tomlinson and Tinie Tempah. All the biggest hits of 2025 crammed into one glittery package. If you couldn't get tickets, this is the next best thing.
Strictly Come Dancing - BBC One, 6:35pm ⭐
The semi-finals. After Katya and Lewis's shock departure, the glitterball is genuinely up for grabs. Amber, George, Balvinder and Karen battle it out with two dances each, fighting for a place in next Saturday's grand finale.
Here's the thing: that final will be Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly's last regular show before they return for the Christmas Day special at 5:30pm. It's been an era. Tonight feels like the beginning of an ending. Make the most of it.
The Chase Celebrity Christmas Special - ITV1, 7pm
Festive edition of Bradley Walsh's quiz show. Famous faces take on the Chasers for charity. Reliable Saturday evening viewing if you're waiting for the main event.
Prime Time (8pm onwards)
Michael McIntyre's The Wheel - BBC One, 8:05pm
Chris Eubank as wild card, Tony Blackburn setting new records for wrong answers - allegedly the most in the show's history. The format depends heavily on how much Alma's Not Normal star Sophie Willan knows about boxing. Michael McIntyre keeps it all spinning with his usual convivial energy.
Christmas Hits: The Videos That Sleighed - BBC Two, 8:05pm
From Wham!'s snowy cabin getaway to the Pogues' dark festive fantasia in New York, certain music videos have become as essential to Christmas as the songs themselves. This documentary explores the stories behind the iconic films.
Expect Paul McCartney, Spice Girls, Mariah Carey and East 17 to feature. This kicks off a whole evening of Wham! content on BBC Two - stick around for more George Michael goodness later.
Sandi Toksvig's Great Riviera Rail Trip - Channel 4, 8:05pm
Sandi explores Nice - France's fifth-biggest city. Highlights include her assisting a local sculptor, riding a cute funicular, and sharing the fact that Queen Victoria used to explore the alleyways in a donkey-pulled cart. QI-style trivia delivered with Scandinavian charm. Gentle Saturday night viewing.
Elf - Sky Showcase, 8:05pm
Will Ferrell as Buddy, a human raised by elves at the North Pole who travels to New York to meet his birth father Walter (James Caan). In less accomplished hands, this could have drowned in schmaltz. But Jon Favreau keeps the gag rate high, and Ferrell's timing is absolutely exquisite.
"The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear." Impossible not to smile at this one. An annual tradition for good reason.
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire - ITV1, 8:05pm
Jeremy Clarkson in the hot seat (the host's chair, not the contestant's). Saturday night quiz staple. Will anyone make a proper run at the jackpot?
Wild Cherry - BBC One, 9:05pm
Nicôle Lecky's high-society drama reaches its climax. Schoolgirls Grace and Allegra are arrested on suspicion of murdering classmate Iris. Mothers Lorna and Juliet finally learn the shocking truth behind their daughters' season of scandal, while Gigi's carefully constructed secrets crumble.
If you've been following this one, tonight's the payoff.
Wham! at the BBC - BBC Two, 9:05pm
Continuing BBC Two's Wham! evening. Archive footage of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley at their peak - big hair, white teeth, shuttlecocks. This leads into Wham!: Last Christmas Unwrapped at 10:15pm for the full festive deep-dive.
Miriam's Dickensian Christmas - Channel 4, 9:05pm
Miriam Margolyes explores Victorian Christmas traditions through the lens of Dickens. Expect enthusiasm, directness, and probably something mildly scandalous. Miriam doesn't do things by halves.
I'm A Celebrity: Coming Out - ITV1, 9:05pm
The jungle veterans reunite. What happened after the cameras stopped rolling? How's everyone adjusting to normal life after eating camel bits for three weeks? The annual catch-up show.
Late Night (10pm onwards)
Match of the Day - BBC One, 10:20pm
The Premier League round-up. Gary Lineker and the pundits dissect Saturday's action. Essential viewing if you've been avoiding scores all day.
Wham!: Last Christmas Unwrapped - BBC Two, 10:15pm
The making of the most iconic Christmas pop song ever made. That video. That cabin. Those snowballs. The full story behind George and Andrew's festive masterpiece.
The Batman - ITV1, 10:25pm
Matt Reeves' 2022 take on the Dark Knight with Robert Pattinson as a brooding Bruce Wayne investigating the Riddler's murders. Nearly three hours long, so settle in. Dark, rain-soaked Gotham. Paul Dano being intensely creepy. It's a lot, but it's also genuinely good.
65 - Channel 4, 10:05pm
Adam Driver crash-lands on Earth 65 million years ago and has to survive dinosaurs. The premise is better than the execution, but there are worse ways to spend 90 minutes on a Saturday night.
If You're Not Into Light Entertainment
Total Recall - Sky Showcase, 10:05pm
The 1990 Paul Verhoeven sci-fi classic with Arnold Schwarzenegger. "Get your ass to Mars." Proper blockbuster entertainment from before everything was a franchise.
What's on Streaming
Netflix has the new Knives Out sequel Wake Up Dead Man - Daniel Craig's quirky sleuth Benoit Blanc returns with Josh O'Connor, Glenn Close and Jeremy Renner. Apple TV has F1 with Brad Pitt racing at actual Grand Prix events. Both worth a look if you'd rather skip broadcast.
The Viewing Schedule Table
| Time | Channel | Programme |
|---|---|---|
| 4:50pm | ITV1 | Capital's Jingle Bell Ball 2025 |
| 6:35pm | BBC One | Strictly Come Dancing |
| 7:00pm | ITV1 | The Chase Celebrity Christmas Special |
| 8:05pm | BBC One | Michael McIntyre's The Wheel |
| 8:05pm | BBC Two | Christmas Hits: The Videos That Sleighed |
| 8:05pm | Channel 4 | Sandi Toksvig's Great Riviera Rail Trip |
| 8:05pm | ITV1 | Who Wants to Be a Millionaire |
| 8:05pm | Sky Showcase | Elf |
| 9:05pm | BBC One | Wild Cherry |
| 9:05pm | BBC Two | Wham! at the BBC |
| 9:05pm | Channel 4 | Miriam's Dickensian Christmas |
| 9:05pm | ITV1 | I'm A Celebrity: Coming Out |
| 10:05pm | Channel 4 | 65 |
| 10:05pm | Sky Showcase | Total Recall |
| 10:15pm | BBC Two | Wham!: Last Christmas Unwrapped |
| 10:20pm | BBC One | Match of the Day |
| 10:25pm | ITV1 | The Batman |
Final Verdict
Saturday night telly at its most indulgent. Strictly's semi-finals are the main event - four couples, two dances each, everything on the line before Claudia and Tess's grand finale next week. If you need festive energy, BBC Two's Wham! evening delivers wall-to-wall George Michael, and Elf on Sky remains the perfect Christmas comedy. Late-night options include Match of the Day and a nearly three-hour Batman. Something for everyone, as they say.
Nick Bain writes about television for TVRadar.co.uk