Strictly Come Dancing final, Royal Variety Performance and Sports Personality of the Year: TV this week

Strictly Come Dancing: The Final (Saturday 14/12/24, BBC1, 6pm)

Words by Rachael Popow

This year, Strictly Come Dancing celebrated its 20th birthday, but when the current series started, some viewers were wondering whether it would get to 21.

The pro-celebrity dance contest had been engulfed in a scandal after some former contestants spoke out about their experiences on the show, leading to questions about whether it would seem a little less glittery and fun this time around.

However, this series has largely managed to remind us why we fell in love with Strictly in the first place. Many pundits (and fans) have suggested that a lot of that is down to comedian Chris McCausland, who has been this year’s breakout star.

When he was announced as part of the line-up, Chris, who is blind, said: “If anybody out there is thinking – How the hell is he going to do that? – then rest assured that I am thinking exactly the same thing. I don’t dance, I haven’t danced, I can’t dance, I can’t see the dancing I will have to do. What can possibly go wrong? Ok don’t answer that…!”

Yet, with the help of his professional partner, Dianne Buswell, he’s revealed a talent for fancy footwork, winning over the judges and the viewers.

Perhaps one of the secrets is his attitude. Chris said: “I think the main thing… is to take the show seriously but not take myself too seriously.

“I’ve had lots of lovely messages from people saying you’re doing really well and it’s nice that fellow comedians think that I’m coming across as myself, that means a lot.”

He quickly became the bookies favourite to lift the glitterball trophy, but as we reach tonight’s final will he still be in the running?

After all, there have been plenty of surprises and upsets throughout the series, starting with Olympic swimmer Tom Dean, who had shown quite a bit of promise, becoming the first victim of the dance off.

There was also Blackpool, when Pete Wicks looked genuinely stunned that he’d been saved by the public after the judges left him stranded at the bottom of the leaderboard.

EastEnder Jamie Borthwick had been tipped as a potential finalist, especially after he scored an impressive 39 points for his week five paso, but he was voted out ahead of the quarter finals, after going up against Gladiator Montell Douglas, who proved herself a real fighter in the dance offs.

So, it’s still all to play for as Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman present the final. The celebs will be performing three routines (traditionally one that the judges think they can improve on since they first performed it, their own favourite, and a new, no-holds barred showdance).

Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke, Craig Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse will be scoring their efforts, but it’s only the viewers’ votes that count – and as this series has proved several times, the judges and the viewers don’t always agree…

The Royal Variety Performance 2024 (Sunday 15/12/24, ITV1, 8pm)

Words by Sarah Morgan

In case you need a reminder that Christmas is just around the corner, it’s time for the Royal Variety Performance.

Like the Sports Personality of the Year show, its appearance in the TV schedule is a marker for the forthcoming festivities. It also provides viewers with some top-class entertainment from stars from a range of fields.

King George V and Queen Mary were the royal attendees for the first show back on July 1, 1912. The King must have enjoyed it a lot because he said from then on he would attend an annual variety show provided the profits went to the Variety Artistes Benevolent Fund.

Later renamed the Entertainment Artistes Benevolent Fund and now known as the Royal Variety Charity, it has enjoyed royal patronage ever since. Unfortunately, the event didn’t take place for 16 years due to the World Wars and various periods of royal mourning, but for decades, it’s been a mainstay in our calendars.

This year, the King was in attendance for the first time since becoming its Patron, but he was there alone; the Queen was due to accompany him, but was forced to pull out due to ill health. She missed a wonderful evening, but at least, like the rest of us who couldn’t see it live at the Royal Albert Hall, she can catch up with what went on during tonight’s broadcast.

Headlining the event were Elton John and David Furnish, who introduced an eye-catching number from their new musical The Devil Wears Prada, featuring its cast, which includes Vanessa Williams.

Other highlights include Britain’s Got Talent winner Sydnie Christmas, who’ll be accompanied by Strictly regular Dave Arch and the Royal Variety orchestra, as well as Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Eurovision champion Nemo, and the casts of Oliver! and Starlight Express.

Look out too for comedy from Ellie Taylor and Matt Forde, magic from Stephen Mulhern and Penn and Teller, and a very special performance by Lorraine Kelly’s Change and Check Choir, led by Marti Pellow. They will be raising awareness of breast cancer early detection via a rendition of Love Is All Around.

The whole shebang is hosted by best mates Alan Carr and Amanda Holden.

“I am completely thrilled to be asked back to host the Royal Variety Performance, what a compliment and an honour!” smiles Carr. “To be able to host this magical evening with my best friend and TV wife is the icing on the cake for me.”

Holden adds: “It truly is such an honour to be hosting the Royal Variety Performance this year. I’m still pinching myself! This is a dream job and Alan is a true friend, it’s going to be such a fun night! I’ve worked on Britain’s Got Talent for 18 years and have been so proud watching all our winners perform for the royal family. This year will be no different, so in the words of Sydnie Christmas, let’s av it!”

We’re sure everything went well, but even if the odd moment misfires, the acts and routines come thick and fast – so there’s always something else to look forward to.

Strike (Monday 16/12/24, BBC One, 9pm)

Words by Sarah Morgan

What’s in a name? Well, when it comes to crime dramas, the answer could be quite a lot. Regular, long-running shows often feature the moniker of the main protagonist, such as Inspector Morse (and its offshoots, Lewis and Endeavour), Vera, McDonald & Dodds and, of course, Strike.

They’re the characters viewers want to see, the folk we tune in for time and time again, regardless of the case they’re investigating. But shouldn’t the last on that list change its title to Strike & Ellacott?

The series, which is based on the bestselling novels of JK Rowling/Robert Galbraith, started out with Cormoran Strike, played by Tom Burke, very much front and centre. The army veteran was the founder of his own private detective agency, which employed Robin Ellacott (Holliday Grainger), initially as a temporary secretary, until she proved her worth as an investigator as skilled as her then-boss.

“She’s (become) who she wants to be,” says Grainger of her alter ego. “Secretly, she’s always been interested in being a detective and investigating. Strike is almost allowing her to be who she always wanted to be. He kind of embodies a freedom and a sense of respect for herself.

“It’s an interesting dynamic that Strike and Robin have, built on a mutual respect for each other. It’s obvious that there’s some sort of attraction to begin with, and as the mutual respect grows so does the attraction.”

In the years since that first meeting, Robin has turned herself into Cormoran’s equal, so perhaps deserves to have her name in the show’s title. She’s provided much-needed help and assistance and, in some cases, put herself in the line of fire while leading the way.

That’s how we find her in The Ink Black Heart, which is based on the sixth novel to feature the duo. However, she may be about to make a big mistake…

The tale begins with Edie Ledwell, co-creator of The Ink Black Heart cartoon, appearing at Cormoran and Robin’s office. She wants to speak to the latter about the online persecution she’s been suffering at the hands of a mystery figure known only as Anomie.

Edie wants to know the villain’s true identity, but Robin doesn’t think it’s the kind of case she and her business partner should be pursuing – until Edie is found dead in Highgate Cemetery. The duo then throw themselves into the investigation, uncovering a tangled web of aliases, business interests and family conflicts – ironing it all out will be their biggest challenge yet.

It’s all very intriguing, but what many viewers really want to know is: are Cormoran and Robin getting any closer to a romance?

“Robin and Strike’s relationship has captured so many hearts and minds, mine included,” laughs Grainger. “JK Rowling has managed to create this brilliant ‘will they, won’t they’? ‘Should they, shouldn’t they’? And it’s as if the audience knows better than they do how much they love and respect each other. I think we’re all rooting for them.”

That’s absolutely true. And if they do end up together, well, maybe we’ll forget about the name change.

Sports Personality of the Year 2024 (Tuesday 17/12/2024, BBC One, 7pm)

Words by Richard Jones

Although we say something similar in the run up to this programme every December, it really has been a special year for sport.

We had the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, as well as football’s Euros in Germany, the men’s and women’s T20 cricket world cups, and the UEFA Champions League final at Wembley Stadium.

As usual, tonight’s star-studded BBC Sports Personality of the Year show will reflect on those and other events, as well as the sporting brilliance that has wowed the public over the last 12 months.

Throughout the night, awards will be handed out in eight of categories, including for World Sport Star of the Year, the Helen Rollason award, Young Sports Personality of the Year, Unsung Hero, Coach of the Year, Team of the Year and Lifetime Achievement award.

The night will culminate in the handing out of the main prize, the Sports Personality of the Year, which was won in 2023 by Mary Earps.

Unsurprisingly, many of the favourites to succeed the England goalkeeper are the heroines and heroes from Paris, with the undoubted front runner (in every sense of the word), being Keely Hodgkinson

The middle-distance athlete has had a great year, culminating in winning Olympic gold in the 800metres – a step up the podium from her silver in Tokyo four years before.

Over at the Paris Velodrome, Emma Finucane secured gold in the team sprint and adding a bronze in the keirin, while another cyclist, Thomas Pidcock, won his second successive mountain biking Olympic title, and Alex Yee claimed gold in the men’s individual triathlon, before a bronze in the mixed team relay.

Rower Helen Glover helped carry the flag for Team GB in Paris.

It was a remarkable comeback for the two-time gold medallist, having previously announced her retirement to start a family.

Her fellow flag bearer, diver Tom Daley, bowed out from the sport in style, winning silver with Noah Williams in the 10metre synchro.

Cyclist Dame Sarah Storey struck gold yet again in Paris, making her Britain’s most successful Paralympian of all time, with 30 medals, including 19 golds.

Away from events in the French capital, teenager Luke Littler may have lost the PDC World Darts Championship final at the start of the year, but it’s all been titles and nine-darters ever since.

Meanwhile, four-time Olympic gold medal-winning sailor Sir Ben Ainslie captained Ineos Team UK’s yacht Britannia to qualify for the America’s Cup, and newly-knighted cyclist Mark Cavendish broke the all-time record for most Tour de France stage wins with 35.

Britain’s tennis No.1 Jack Draper reached the US Open semi-finals, while there wasn’t much that wheelchair tennis star Alfie Hewett didn’t win this year.

For the first time in 23 years, Gary Lineker, who has also recently announced he is stepping down from his role as the host of Match of the Day, will not be among the presenting line-up for SPOTY.

Instead, making sure things run smoothly on the night in Salford will be Clare Balding, Gabby Logan and Alex Scott

“It’s been a massive year with Olympics, Paralympics and the men’s European Football Championships,” Clare says.

“There are a huge array of sportsmen and women who have shared the spotlight and it’s a great chance to celebrate their achievements.”

Mary Makes Christmas (Wednesday 18/12/2024, BBC One, 8pm)

Words by Richard Jones

With just one week to go until the big day, time is running out if you’re still undecided what gifts to get your loved-ones or what dishes to make over the festive period.

But fear not, the nation’s favourite cook, Dame Mary Berry, is on hand with some original ideas to make sure the holidays go without a hitch.

Of course, this is not the first yuletide special Mary has brought us over the years, and her shows have become somewhat of a perennial staple.

In Mary Berry Saves Christmas in 2020, she helped a group of amateur cooks make lavish dinners for their families, and a year later, she presented Mary Berry’s Festive Feasts in which she taught three novice cooks how to prepare for the season.

Mary Berry’s Ultimate Christmas followed a year later and, and in December last year, BBC One aired Mary Berry’s Highland Christmas.

Now, for this year’s Christmas-themed programme, the 89-year-old former Great British Bake Off judge is heading to a magnificent coastal setting to show the nation how to make delicious foodie gifts for family and friends.

“The idea of Mary Makes Christmas is I make a lot of presents, nice things to give people at Christmas,” she says.

“There’s something special about being generous with your time – you can make some of these things far ahead and there’s nothing better than a gift made with love.”

Joined by Strictly dancer Oti Mabuse, TV favourite Amanda Holden and DJ Nick Grimshaw, Mary has the ideal recipes to gift, including sumptuous mini Christmas cakes, chewy and crispy almond snowballs and spicy Christmas chutney.

Along with her gifting recipes, Mary also whips up a delicious winter vegetable soup with chestnuts, her family Christmas Eve favourite, prawn and haddock fish pie, with a delightful twist of a cheesy creamy style topping, some truly original turkey pasties, and a creamy show-stopping clementine crème brûlée.

Mary and Oti are amazed to see a group of Santa-hat-wearing swimmers run into the sea for their traditional cold water Christmas dip.

As a reward for braving the waves, the pair share their freshly made almond snowballs with the swimmers.

Mary invites Amanda to join her in the historic local pub where they catch up on all things Christmas and make boozy apricots in brandy and a deep rich stilton dip, both perfect for gifting.

As a thank you, Amanda surprises Mary with a visit to the local church for some festive entertainment.

Then it’s off to the RNLI boathouse in Rye, where Mary and Nick roll up their sleeves and get stuck into making some divine ginger flapjacks to share with the volunteers, family and friends at their annual RNLI Christmas carols celebration.

A wonderful treat for them all and a perfect gifting recipe to end the show.

If you’re looking for more tips from Dame Mary, she insists it’s all about being uncomplicated.

She told PA Last year: “The key is to keep your ingredients simple. And also, not to be ashamed of buying things that make cooking easier, whether it’s Panko breadcrumbs or pre-rolled puff pastry. Who cares if you didn’t make it all from scratch?”

And after all these years presenting festive-themed shows, Mary still has a special affection for this time of year.

“I really love Christmas,” she says. “I’ve done a few Christmases in my time, and it’s all a matter of being organised.”

The Great British Sewing Bee Celebrity Christmas Special (Thursday 19/12/24, BBC1, 9pm)

Words by Rachael Popow

Ghosts star Kiell Smith-Bynoe did an admirable job of holding the fort during series 10, but now Sara Pascoe is returning from maternity leave to host The Great British Sewing Bee Celebrity Christmas Special.

She’s joined by four famous contestants. They are singer and actor Ian “H” Watkins, who is best known for being part of Steps, and EastEnder Kellie Bright, who is probably quite glad to escape into the cosy world of the sewing room after a harrowing year in the Queen Vic as killer and frequently relapsing alcoholic Linda Carter.

Comedian Fatiha El-Ghorri, who showed off her survival skills on the David Mitchell-hosted game show Outsiders, is also picking up a needle, and the line-up is completed by TV personality and businesswoman Charlotte Crosby, who first found fame on Geordie Shore.

They’ll be faced with three challenges – making an advent calendar, transforming onesies into a fun Christmas costume for a child and, finally, a made-to-measure outfit inspired by their favourite Christmas number one.

Esme Young and Patrick Grant are on hand to judge their efforts and decide who will be the festive Sewing Bee champion.

Admittedly, the standard on the celebrity version hasn’t always been as high as on the regular Sewing Bee, but while she has to be picky in her role as a judge, it seems Esme is just happy that the show is inspiring people to get creative.

She says: “I’m sure the show has encouraged people to recycle clothes and make things. Loads of people have bought sewing machines and taken up sewing. Sewing is really good for mental health: you’re creating things, you’re doing something 3D, you’re learning… You know, everyone’s on computers now, but – with sewing – you can feel the fabric and create something.

“You might put it on and say: ‘Well, I don’t like that…’ but you’ve learned loads from making it and that’s just great. It’s a huge boost when you look at something and think: ‘I made that…’ It’s a real positive.”

As regular viewers will know, Esme has an impressive sewing CV of her own – one of the small joys of the series are the moments when she suddenly reveals a fascinating nugget from her own, celebrity-filled life.

In the 19709s, she teamed up with three friends to open the iconic store Swanky Modes in Camden, London, and went onto make costumes for films such as Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Trainspotting and Bridget Jones’s Diary.

However, Sewing Bee has introduced her to a whole new audience: “At events, I see how much the show has inspired people to make stuff and I get tagged in people’s photos on Instagram. There are so few fabric shops and haberdasheries compared to when I was young – which is a big shame – but a lot more have opened because of Sewing Bee. Long may it continue.”

Admittedly, it may be cutting it a little fine to add a sewing machine to your own Christmas list, but perhaps this festive special will encourage a few more people to give it a go.

The Young Offenders (Friday 20/12/24, BBC1, 9.30pm)

Rachael Popow

When it was announced that the 2016 Irish movie The Young Offenders was getting a spin-off sitcom, most fans would have agreed that there was plenty of mileage left in the characters.

However, they might also have assumed that there was an expiration date – after all, tearaways Jock and Conor wouldn’t stay Young Offenders for ever.

Luckily, the fourth series, which aired earlier this year proved, there’s still laughs to be had as the pair became adults – and even go their separate ways as, due to actor Chris Walley’s other filming commitments, Jock only appeared in the early episodes.

Alex Murphy, who plays Conor, says that the character getting older has brought new possibilities to the series. He says: “Conor’s growing up, but he doesn’t know how to really do that, so you’re watching Conor trying to navigate adulthood.”

He adds: “I think the beauty with Conor and to be honest all of the characters in the show is they will cope with whatever is thrown at them. No matter what happens to these characters, they still hold on to some sort of hope. It is a struggle for him without Jock but he won’t sink.”

Alex, whose other credits include Conversations with Friends and the recent thriller Crá, thinks that even law-abiding viewers can see themselves in the show.

He says: “Every character is so flawed and every character has such strong motives that you can relate to someone in the show. And the writing is so good, every character learns something about themselves and with just comedy and improv and heartfelt moments throughout in 27 minutes, it’s a brilliant show.

“There’s very little pop culture references in the show, they’re very much in their own world. We have the twelve people we know and that’s who we interact with and as viewer it’s just a nice break to watch a show where nothing outside of their world is really referenced so for half an hour you can just chill out.”

This episode might not feel that chilled though, as Christmas is coming and Mairéad (Hilary Rose) and Sgt Healy (Dominic MacHale) have an extra reason to celebrate as they are expecting a new arrival. Conor wants everything to be perfect for his mother, but housework isn’t really his strongpoint, so Mairéad gives him a few pointers, starting by showing him how to clear out his wash basket thoroughly – which is when she discovers there’s a gun in it.

Conor insists he’s only keeping it for a friend, and is being paid for the favour, but the mate in question is Jack Hammer (Jason Byrne), who is so terrifying, even Billy Murphy (Shane Casey) fears him.

So, will Conor get on the wrong side of him when his mother insists he has to give the weapon back, even if it is Christmas Eve?

Watch out for a guest appearance by celebrity chef Rachel Allen.