Christmas Cruising with Susan Calman 2023 on Channel 5 sees the comedian heading off to Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland for her 2023 festive special - and she’s positively brimming with Christmas cheer.
“It turns you into a big kid actually,” Susan says. “It makes you remember Christmases gone past. So, I ended up just skipping through the snow dressed as an elf.”
However, as this is Christmas Cruising, no one was going to make it easy for her and Susan finds herself on planes, trains, ships and snowmobiles on her mission to get to the home of the big man, even catching an overnight ride on the Santa Claus Express.
Once she arrives at the Arctic circle, she wants to give Father Christmas letters from her niece and nephew, but first, she must train as an elf, sort the Christmas mail and meet Santa’s hardworking reindeer.
“Lapland was far more beautiful than I ever imagined,” says Susan. “It was -17 degrees so the equipment kept freezing, which was quite challenging. I went in search of Santa but learnt so much more about how the people in Lapland live, it was really wonderful. It was a true Christmas adventure.”
Here’s everything you need to know about Channel 5's 2023 show Christmas Cruising with Susan Calman…
Christmas Cruising with Susan Calman 2023 release date
Christmas Cruising with Susan Calman 2023 will be shown on Channel 5 on Sunday December 17 at 9pm to get us all set for the 2023 festive season.
Locations and what happens in Christmas Cruising with Susan Calman 2023
Susan is off on a quest to find Santa but it’s a case of planes, trains and automobiles in order to do so. She is determined to make it to Rovaniemi, the capital of Lapland and official home of the big man, to share in the Christmas experience.
Starting in Stockholm, Sweden, she boards a ship to Helsinki in Finland before jumping aboard The Santa Claus Express, then taking a snowmobile ride through the Arctic circle. Susan trains at The Elf Academy to become one of Santa’s helpers, helps sort the Christmas mail and meets some special reindeer before taking a snowy trip to the home of Father Christmas himself.
Interview: Susan Calman on Christmas Cruising 2023
What can viewers expect from Christmas Cruising with Susan Calman in 2023?
Susan Calman says: "Okay, so there's a bit of a quest this year. My niece and nephew wrote letters to Santa. They’re genuinely letters from my niece and nephew and I had to hand deliver them to Santa Clause to make sure they got there safely. So I'm on a mission to get to Lapland in time to deliver their Christmas wishes. And because it's cruising with Susan, we don't just fly to Lapland, it's trains, planes, ships and snowmobiles to get there. So I start off in Edinburgh and I fly to Stockholm, and then I get a ship from Stockholm to Helsinki, and then I go from Helsinki overnight by train and then I go by snowmobile to find Santa Clause. So it's a true Christmas adventure!"
Do you feel like you've got a taste of what Santa does every year?
"Listen, I was exhausted after seven days and he does it all in one evening, so I am full of admiration!"
What was it like attending the Elf Academy?
"Well, the thing about Santa Claus Village, the elves are real, obviously, and they really took it very seriously. So I learned a little elf dance, and I learned some elvish language, and then one of the key things, which was not difficult for me, is you have to eat cookies, gingerbread cookies, without leaving any crumbs, so no one knows you’ve been there. And I did that, no problem!"
Did Lapland live up to your expectations?
"It was far more beautiful than I ever imagined. I mean, really, really beautiful. There'd been some very heavy snow. It was -17 degrees, so that was quite challenging. The equipment kept freezing. So the cameras were freezing and the cables were freezing. At one point I did a piece to camera and we had to do it again because my breath was blocking the camera because it was so cold. But it was so beautiful, the snow and the trees, I just thought it was magical actually, I have to say. And you know, the Finnish people are meant to be the happiest in the world and they were so welcoming and so lovely. It was just, it was really peaceful and I spoke to a beautiful woman called Irene, a Lappish woman, telling us all about their spirituality and how they embrace Mother Nature and it's all about not fighting against the snow but embracing the snow. So it was really beautiful. I went in search of Santa but learnt so much more about how the people in Lapland live, it was really wonderful."
Is it a destination just for the kids, or do you think adults can enjoy it as well?
"Absolutely, and for me what was really interesting was you arrive and you think, “oh it's just for kids”, and then you start going “do you remember when you were young, writing letters to Santa? Do you remember when you did this?” Everyone started remembering Christmas as a child and then before you know it, we're all wandering around the snow, sliding around. And it turns you into a big kid actually. I think that's what it does. It makes you remember Christmases gone past. So I ended up just skipping through the snow dressed as an elf!"
What's Christmas looking like for you this year?
"Well, because I'm cruising right up until Christmas, usually I host Christmas in the house and there's 23 people. This year my Mum's been really nice and she's hosting it, but I'm doing all of the cooking on Christmas Day and taking it over to her house. So I'm still cooking the food and it's the whole family in a small house, balancing plates on laps and everything like that. So it's going to be really lovely because it's been a long year of doing lots of filming, so it's going to be the start of a nice little break. so I'm really looking forward to it."
Is there a trailer for Christmas Cruising with Susan Calman 2023?
Channel 5 hasn't yet released a trailer for Christmas Cruising with Susan Calman, but if they do we'll post it here.
All about Susan Calman
Comedy star Susan Calman is known for her travelogues, such as Susan Calman’s Grand Day Out, Susan Calman's Summer by the Sea, Susan Calman’s Grand Week by the Sea and Cruising with Susan Calman. She’s had roles in shows such as Fresh Meat, Dead Boss and School of Silence and has appeared on numerous panel shows including 8 Out of 10 Cats, QI and House of Games. Susan also presented The Great British Menu and took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2017.
