The Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special returns once again for 2025, with six famous faces pairing up to battle it out for the Glitterball.
This year, presenter Scarlett Moffatt, All Saints popstar Melanie Blatt, Gladiators star Jodie ‘Fury’ Ounsley, EastEnders actor Nicholas Bailey, comedian Babatunde Aléshé, and former Westlife singer Brian McFadden will take part.
Fans won’t want to miss this year’s special for another reason. Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will host Strictly for their very last time, after the pair announced they were both leaving the show earlier in the year.
If you're worried you might not be able to watch the festive edition of the show, don't be - we share how you can tune in from anywhere in the world.
How to watch the Strictly Christmas Special in the UK
For those in the UK, tuning in couldn’t be simpler. Provided you have a TV licence - and enough energy after a day of presents, turkey and perhaps a few Baileys - fans can tune in to the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special on BBC One from 5.30pm on Christmas Day.
You can also watch the live broadcast on BBC iPlayer, or catch up afterwards if you miss it.
BBC iPlayer is free to use, and all you need is an email address, UK postcode and TV licence to sign up for a BBC iPlayer account.
How to watch the Strictly Christmas Special 2025 from anywhere in the world
If you’re going to be away from your usual TV set-up when the Strictly special airs, but don't want to wait a single moment to see the delicious festive dancing treats on offer, there's no need to worry.
You can still enjoy the episode, with the use of a Virtual Private Network - a VPN.
A VPN allows you to change your IP address to that of the area of what you want to watch, meaning you can tune in to the show, even if you're not there.
Our sister site, TechRadar, has tested all of the major VPN services and they rate Nord to be the absolute best.
They say, "It’s compatible with all of your devices, supports most streaming services, and ranks among the fastest. You can even install it on devices like an Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Xbox, and PlayStation. So for a one-stop-shop, you can’t go wrong with Nord."
If you've never installed a VPN before, don't worry, it's quick and easy. Just follow these three steps:
- Download and install the VPN following NordVPN's easy-to-follow instructions.
- Once you've installed your VPN, open the app and select your server location as anywhere in the UK.
- With your VPN installed and server location set to UK, you can now watch the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special on BBC iPlayer.
