King Charles's Christmas message was the most-watched show on UK television, attracting nearly 7 million viewers. Other popular shows included "The Scarecrows' Wedding" and "Strictly Come Dancing."
King's message viewed by 6.56 million
"The Scarecrows' Wedding" had 4.31 million
"Strictly Come Dancing" attracted 4.24 million
EastEnders saw 2.85 million viewers
BBC had 9 of the top 10 shows
Viewers could catch up later
Message focused on community spirit
The King’s Christmas Broadcast was the most-watched TV programme in the UK on Christmas Day, according to overnight data. Nearly 7 million viewers tuned in across various channels to see King Charles deliver his annual message from Westminster Abbey.
Top Viewing Figures for Christmas Day
Following the King, the second most popular show was “The Scarecrows’ Wedding” with 4.31 million viewers. The third spot went to “Strictly Come Dancing,” which attracted 4.24 million. Both shows were significant hits.
The King (6.56m viewers)
The Scarecrows’ Wedding (4.31m)
Strictly Come Dancing (4.24m)
Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel (3.71m)
Call the Midwife (3.44m)
Gladiators (3.16m)
Amandaland (3.05m)
EastEnders (2.85m)
Overall Trends in Christmas Viewing
There was a decline in viewership for “EastEnders,” which was the eighth most-watched with 2.85 million for its first Christmas episode. Its second episode did not make the top 10.
Soaps “Coronation Street” and “Emmerdale” also did not feature in the top 10. Impressively, BBC programmes dominated the viewership, taking nine out of the top ten spots on Christmas Day.
Remarks on Shared Experiences
A festive episode of “The 1% Club” rounded out the top ten with 2.75 million viewers. BBC’s chief content officer, Kate Phillips, noted that these figures remind us that shared moments still hold value in today’s diverse viewing landscape.
Overall, this year’s Christmas Day ratings highlighted significant viewer preferences, with traditional options still holding strong pressure in the UK market.
Why is the King’s message important?
It’s a long-standing tradition that connects families.
Sophia Clarke is a senior international journalist with nine years of experience covering global politics, human rights, and international diplomacy.
She earned her M.A. in International Relations and Journalism from the University of Oxford (2016), where she specialized in global governance, conflict reporting, and cross-cultural communication.
Sophia began her career as a foreign correspondent for BBC World Service and later joined The Guardian, where her insightful analyses and on-the-ground reporting from Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America earned her recognition for accuracy and integrity.
Now based in Paris, France, Sophia contributes to Faharas NET, providing comprehensive coverage of diplomatic affairs, humanitarian issues, and policy developments shaping the international landscape. Her storytelling combines investigative depth, journalistic ethics, and a strong commitment to amplifying underrepresented voices in global dialogue.
BBC.com is the BBC’s commercial window to the world, bankrolled by advertising rather than the British licence fee and engineered to serve 100 million monthly Worldwide readers who live outside the United Kingdom. Where bbc.co.uk leads with domestic headlines and iPlayer promos, BBC.com front-loads global market futures, cyclone trackers, and live soccer scorebars that auto-update via Opta feeds. A proprietary geo-IP engine reshuffles the homepage in milliseconds: a reader in Mumbai sees monsoon alerts above the fold, while the same URL in São Paulo surfaces Copa Libertadores previews and Brazilian real exchange rates.
The site’s “100 Most Read” list is a real-time pulse of planetary attention—earthquake in Turkey, royal succession, or a K-drama finale can leap from zero to top spot within 15 minutes. Deep-dive features live under “Travel” and “Culture” verticals, funded by ad impressions rather than public money, allowing the BBC to keep video docs on Kyoto’s hidden temples or Lagos’ Afrobeats scene free of paywalls. From breaking UN Security Council votes to 360° VR tours of Patagonia, BBC.com distills the corporation’s 90-year news heritage into a single, borderless stream that never clocks off.
