{"id":1470,"date":"2025-12-28T09:54:54","date_gmt":"2025-12-28T09:54:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/topshowusa.us\/?p=1470"},"modified":"2025-12-28T09:54:54","modified_gmt":"2025-12-28T09:54:54","slug":"ratings-disaster-christmas-ratings-implode-in-2025-iconic-shows-facing-permanent-axe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/topshowusa.us\/?p=1470","title":{"rendered":"RATINGS DISASTER: Christmas Ratings IMPLODE in 2025 \u2014 Iconic Shows Facing PERMANENT AXE"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>BBC dealt huge blow as Christmas Day TV ratings confirmed<\/h1>\n<h2>The BBC didn\u2019t achieve the success of 2024.<\/h2>\n<p class=\"withoutCaption\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/20\/1200x712\/secondary\/Strictly-Come-Dancing-6636936.avif?r=1766755527736\" type=\"image\/avif\" media=\"screen and (min-width:10000px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/20\/1200x712\/secondary\/Strictly-Come-Dancing-6636936.webp?r=1766755527736\" type=\"image\/webp\" media=\"screen and (min-width:10000px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/20\/1200x712\/secondary\/Strictly-Come-Dancing-6636936.jpg?r=1766755527736\" type=\"image\/jpeg\" media=\"screen and (min-width:10000px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/20\/674x400\/secondary\/Strictly-Come-Dancing-6636936.avif?r=1766755527736\" type=\"image\/avif\" media=\"screen and (min-width:100000px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/20\/674x400\/secondary\/Strictly-Come-Dancing-6636936.webp?r=1766755527736\" type=\"image\/webp\" media=\"screen and (min-width:100000px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/20\/674x400\/secondary\/Strictly-Come-Dancing-6636936.jpg?r=1766755527736\" type=\"image\/jpeg\" media=\"screen and (min-width:100000px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/20\/940x\/secondary\/Strictly-Come-Dancing-6636936.avif?r=1766755527736\" type=\"image\/avif\" media=\"screen and (min-width:1200px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/20\/940x\/secondary\/Strictly-Come-Dancing-6636936.webp?r=1766755527736\" type=\"image\/webp\" media=\"screen and (min-width:1200px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/20\/940x\/secondary\/Strictly-Come-Dancing-6636936.jpg?r=1766755527736\" type=\"image\/jpeg\" media=\"screen and (min-width:1200px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/20\/590x\/secondary\/Strictly-Come-Dancing-6636936.avif?r=1766755527736\" type=\"image\/avif\" media=\"screen\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/20\/590x\/secondary\/Strictly-Come-Dancing-6636936.webp?r=1766755527736\" type=\"image\/webp\" media=\"screen\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"zoomEnabled\" title=\"Strictly Come Dancing\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/20\/590x\/secondary\/Strictly-Come-Dancing-6636936.jpg?r=1766755527736\" alt=\"Strictly Come Dancing\" width=\"590\" height=\"393\" data-img=\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/20\/1200x712\/secondary\/Strictly-Come-Dancing-6636936.jpg?r=1766755527736\" \/><\/picture><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"newsCaption\">Strictly was the only Christmas Day show to see an increase in figures\u00a0<span class=\"caption\">(Image: PA)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"192\" data-end=\"311\"><strong data-start=\"192\" data-end=\"311\">BBC Faces Major Crisis as Christmas Ratings Collapse \u2014 Viewership Plummets, Flagship Shows Falter and Closures Loom<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"313\" data-end=\"547\">The BBC is facing one of its most worrying Christmas Day performances in years after newly confirmed ratings revealed a dramatic slump in viewership \u2014 sparking fresh fears that once-untouchable programmes could face permanent closure.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"549\" data-end=\"781\">In a stark blow to the broadcaster,\u00a0<em data-start=\"585\" data-end=\"608\">Strictly Come Dancing<\/em>\u00a0was the\u00a0<strong data-start=\"617\" data-end=\"625\">only<\/strong>\u00a0BBC show to record a year-on-year increase on Christmas Day 2025, highlighting just how sharply audience numbers have fallen elsewhere across the schedule.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"783\" data-end=\"1108\">The figures mark a sobering contrast to Christmas 2024, when the BBC dominated the festive ratings thanks to runaway hits such as\u00a0<em data-start=\"913\" data-end=\"954\">Gavin and Stacey: The Christmas Special<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0<em data-start=\"959\" data-end=\"979\">Wallace and Gromit<\/em>, which pulled in a staggering 12.3 million and 9.4 million viewers respectively \u2014 comfortably outperforming\u00a0<em data-start=\"1088\" data-end=\"1107\">The King\u2019s Speech<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1110\" data-end=\"1170\">This year, however, the picture could not be more different.<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-12\"><ins id=\"982a9496-d5302c6580dcc467426bb078354b8088-3-4081\" class=\"982a9496\" data-key=\"d5302c6580dcc467426bb078354b8088\"><ins id=\"982a9496-d5302c6580dcc467426bb078354b8088-3-4081-1\"><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3619133031508264\" data-ad-slot=\"8636656112\" data-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\" data-adsbygoogle-status=\"done\" data-ad-status=\"filled\"><\/p>\n<div id=\"aswift_4_host\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"aswift_4\" tabindex=\"0\" title=\"Advertisement\" src=\"https:\/\/googleads.g.doubleclick.net\/pagead\/ads?client=ca-pub-3619133031508264&amp;output=html&amp;h=280&amp;slotname=8636656112&amp;adk=907355469&amp;adf=295141297&amp;pi=t.ma~as.8636656112&amp;w=736&amp;fwrn=4&amp;fwrnh=100&amp;lmt=1766915585&amp;rafmt=1&amp;format=736x280&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Famazing.xemgihomnay247.com%2Fthien3%2Fratings-disaster-christmas-ratings-implode-in-2025-iconic-shows-facing-permanent-axe%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwY2xjawO93UpleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETEzTHhBSUExSmgwQVNBS29mc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHsvlpbUAgkz84JrJOUBEaVxLBTWVA4Qu5Dk0vgW9xjsNjs1z1gxB0nwIY4pe_aem_rmoVbUlnaNVz6kGUEUTU_Q&amp;fwr=0&amp;fwrattr=true&amp;rpe=1&amp;resp_fmts=3&amp;aieuf=1&amp;aicrs=1&amp;uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTAuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTQzLjAuNzQ5OS4xNzAiLG51bGwsMCxudWxsLCI2NCIsW1siR29vZ2xlIENocm9tZSIsIjE0My4wLjc0OTkuMTcwIl0sWyJDaHJvbWl1bSIsIjE0My4wLjc0OTkuMTcwIl0sWyJOb3QgQShCcmFuZCIsIjI0LjAuMC4wIl1dLDBd&amp;abgtt=6&amp;dt=1766915583641&amp;bpp=1&amp;bdt=3884&amp;idt=1582&amp;shv=r20251211&amp;mjsv=m202512100101&amp;ptt=9&amp;saldr=aa&amp;abxe=1&amp;cookie=ID%3Ddb5ebe2d31b433eb%3AT%3D1766580784%3ART%3D1766915543%3AS%3DALNI_Ma0mvxyvPRY73T1_m8kvxpLMKxaPw&amp;gpic=UID%3D000012abf31cb710%3AT%3D1766580784%3ART%3D1766915543%3AS%3DALNI_MYO01GskZv0QjEyizcHRwRAbIcvLA&amp;eo_id_str=ID%3D7d7f612203ec0192%3AT%3D1766580784%3ART%3D1766915543%3AS%3DAA-Afjb-0kLDABD-F_f4j7hm6xQK&amp;prev_fmts=0x0%2C1200x280%2C736x441&amp;nras=1&amp;correlator=2731869846108&amp;frm=20&amp;pv=1&amp;u_tz=420&amp;u_his=1&amp;u_h=1080&amp;u_w=1920&amp;u_ah=1040&amp;u_aw=1920&amp;u_cd=24&amp;u_sd=1&amp;dmc=8&amp;adx=413&amp;ady=1861&amp;biw=1905&amp;bih=953&amp;scr_x=0&amp;scr_y=0&amp;eid=31096042%2C95376241%2C95376583%2C95378599%2C95378749%2C95379481%2C95377246%2C95380206&amp;oid=2&amp;pvsid=536403504418644&amp;tmod=640807940&amp;uas=3&amp;nvt=1&amp;ref=https%3A%2F%2Fl.facebook.com%2F&amp;fc=1920&amp;brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1920%2C0%2C1920%2C1040%2C1920%2C953&amp;vis=1&amp;rsz=%7C%7CEebr%7C&amp;abl=CS&amp;pfx=0&amp;fu=128&amp;bc=31&amp;plas=366x535_l%7C366x535_r&amp;bz=1&amp;pgls=CAEaAzYuOQ..&amp;ifi=5&amp;uci=a!5&amp;btvi=2&amp;fsb=1&amp;dtd=1587\" name=\"aswift_4\" width=\"736\" height=\"280\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" sandbox=\"allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation\" data-google-container-id=\"a!5\" aria-label=\"Advertisement\" data-google-query-id=\"CKmR176B4JEDFVVIRwEdJlkbHw\" data-load-complete=\"true\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><\/ins><\/p>\n<div id=\"zmediainread-drdqCiqgxM\"><\/div>\n<p><\/ins><\/ins><\/div>\n<p data-start=\"3664\" data-end=\"3892\">\n<p class=\"withoutCaption\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/20\/1200x712\/secondary\/Gavin-and-Stacey-6636953.avif?r=1766755527757\" type=\"image\/avif\" media=\"screen and (min-width:10000px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/20\/1200x712\/secondary\/Gavin-and-Stacey-6636953.webp?r=1766755527757\" type=\"image\/webp\" media=\"screen and (min-width:10000px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/20\/1200x712\/secondary\/Gavin-and-Stacey-6636953.jpg?r=1766755527757\" type=\"image\/jpeg\" media=\"screen and (min-width:10000px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/20\/674x400\/secondary\/Gavin-and-Stacey-6636953.avif?r=1766755527757\" type=\"image\/avif\" media=\"screen and (min-width:100000px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/20\/674x400\/secondary\/Gavin-and-Stacey-6636953.webp?r=1766755527757\" type=\"image\/webp\" media=\"screen and (min-width:100000px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/20\/674x400\/secondary\/Gavin-and-Stacey-6636953.jpg?r=1766755527757\" type=\"image\/jpeg\" media=\"screen and (min-width:100000px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/20\/940x\/secondary\/Gavin-and-Stacey-6636953.avif?r=1766755527757\" type=\"image\/avif\" media=\"screen and (min-width:1200px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/20\/940x\/secondary\/Gavin-and-Stacey-6636953.webp?r=1766755527757\" type=\"image\/webp\" media=\"screen and (min-width:1200px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/20\/940x\/secondary\/Gavin-and-Stacey-6636953.jpg?r=1766755527757\" type=\"image\/jpeg\" media=\"screen and (min-width:1200px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/20\/590x\/secondary\/Gavin-and-Stacey-6636953.avif?r=1766755527757\" type=\"image\/avif\" media=\"screen\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/20\/590x\/secondary\/Gavin-and-Stacey-6636953.webp?r=1766755527757\" type=\"image\/webp\" media=\"screen\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"zoomEnabled\" title=\"Gavin and Stacey\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/20\/590x\/secondary\/Gavin-and-Stacey-6636953.jpg?r=1766755527757\" alt=\"Gavin and Stacey\" width=\"590\" height=\"393\" data-img=\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/20\/1200x712\/secondary\/Gavin-and-Stacey-6636953.jpg?r=1766755527757\" \/><\/picture><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"newsCaption\">Gavin and Stacey performed incredibly well in 2024\u00a0<span class=\"caption\">(Image: Getty)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1172\" data-end=\"1509\"><em data-start=\"1172\" data-end=\"1191\">The King\u2019s Speech<\/em>\u00a0attracted six million viewers \u2014 identical to last year \u2014 making it the most watched programme of the day, a symbolic moment many insiders view as a warning sign rather than a victory. The fact that no BBC entertainment show managed to surpass it has raised serious questions about the broadcaster\u2019s creative momentum.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1511\" data-end=\"1820\">The\u00a0<em data-start=\"1515\" data-end=\"1556\">Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special<\/em>\u00a0drew 4.35 million viewers, up slightly from 4.05 million in 2024. While the increase offered a rare bright spot, it was fuelled by emotional weight, as it marked\u00a0<strong data-start=\"1719\" data-end=\"1776\">Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman\u2019s final show together<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 a one-off moment unlikely to be repeated.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1822\" data-end=\"1866\">Elsewhere, the numbers paint a grim picture.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1868\" data-end=\"2271\">Long-running staples\u00a0<em data-start=\"1889\" data-end=\"1907\">Call The Midwife<\/em>,\u00a0<em data-start=\"1909\" data-end=\"1921\">EastEnders<\/em>, and\u00a0<em data-start=\"1927\" data-end=\"1945\">The Weakest Link<\/em>\u00a0all suffered significant drops.\u00a0<em data-start=\"1978\" data-end=\"1996\">Call The Midwife<\/em>\u00a0fell from 4.4 million viewers last year to just 3.4 million.\u00a0<em data-start=\"2058\" data-end=\"2070\">EastEnders<\/em>\u00a0endured an especially brutal collapse, with its first Christmas episode plunging from four million to 2.8 million, and the second sinking to just 2.2 million \u2014 nearly\u00a0<strong data-start=\"2238\" data-end=\"2246\">half<\/strong>\u00a0of last year\u2019s audience.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2273\" data-end=\"2427\"><em data-start=\"2273\" data-end=\"2291\">The Weakest Link<\/em>\u00a0also slid backwards, pulling in 2.6 million viewers compared with 3.05 million the previous year, continuing a worrying downward trend.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2429\" data-end=\"2672\">Industry insiders say the declines reflect a deeper problem: a lack of major festive events, reduced investment in ambitious specials, and growing competition from streaming platforms \u2014 all contributing to an erosion of appointment television.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2674\" data-end=\"2905\">Even the BBC\u2019s second-most watched programme of the day,\u00a0<em data-start=\"2731\" data-end=\"2756\">The Scarecrows\u2019 Wedding<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 an animated adaptation of a Julia Donaldson book \u2014 managed just 4.3 million viewers, a figure that would have ranked as mid-table only a year ago.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2907\" data-end=\"3160\">While the BBC can point to the fact it still secured\u00a0<strong data-start=\"2960\" data-end=\"3011\">nine of the top ten programmes on Christmas Day<\/strong>, critics argue that dominance means little when overall viewing levels are shrinking \u2014 and when rivals are redefining how audiences consume content.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3162\" data-end=\"3442\">Behind the scenes, the figures have reportedly intensified internal discussions about\u00a0<strong data-start=\"3248\" data-end=\"3328\">cost-cutting, commissioning freezes, and the future of underperforming shows<\/strong>, with some executives privately warning that several long-running titles may not survive another year of decline.<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-14\">\n<p data-start=\"3444\" data-end=\"3662\">BBC Chief Content Officer Kate Phillips attempted to strike an optimistic tone, insisting shared viewing still matters and teasing major launches in 2026, including new series of\u00a0<em data-start=\"3623\" data-end=\"3637\">The Traitors<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0<em data-start=\"3642\" data-end=\"3661\">The Night Manager<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3664\" data-end=\"3892\">But for many observers, the Christmas ratings tell a far more troubling story: a national broadcaster under pressure, losing its grip on mass audiences \u2014 and facing hard decisions that could permanently reshape the BBC\u2019s future.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>BBC dealt huge blow as Christmas Day TV ratings confirmed The BBC didn\u2019t achieve the success of 2024. Strictly was the only Christmas Day show to see an increase in &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1471,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,8],"tags":[12,15,26],"class_list":["post-1470","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-story","tag-news","tag-people","tag-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/topshowusa.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1470","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/topshowusa.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/topshowusa.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/topshowusa.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/topshowusa.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1470"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/topshowusa.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1470\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1472,"href":"https:\/\/topshowusa.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1470\/revisions\/1472"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/topshowusa.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1471"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/topshowusa.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1470"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/topshowusa.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1470"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/topshowusa.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1470"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}