The BBC has confirmed that this year’s Top of the Pops Christmas Special will still go ahead despite reports that it had been axed.
The festive special will air as usual, hosted by BBC Radio 1’s Clara Amfo and Jack Saunders.
Top of the Pops stopped being broadcast weekly in 2006, but has continued to air its festive special annually.
In a series of reports this week, it was claimed that the show will be shelved, per an article published in The Sun. The piece alleged that “BBC Scrooges” had axed the special after 57 years on TV.
A source told the publication: “[BBC] bosses felt the cost involved in creating a one-off show like this were too high to justify. Creating the studio and bringing together a string of artists to perform for just this programme required a disproportionate amount of resources.”
“It will be seen as the sad end of an era by millions of Brits who saw it as a Christmas Day must-watch along with the Queen’s Speech.”
A BBC representative has since confirmed with The Independent that the special will air as usual.
“Top Of The Pops returns for a Christmas special hosted by Radio 1’s Clara Amfo and Jack Saunders,” the BBC said in a statement.
“The special will take a look back over the last 12 months delving into pop music’s biggest stories and showcasing performances from some of the hottest artists of 2022.”
The performances for this year’s Christmas special are yet to be announced.
Last year, Griff, ArrDee, Mahalia, KSI and Sam Fender all performed on the show.
