BBC rescues Top of the Pops Xmas special
20/11/2008 - 10:31
Top Of The Pops will be returning to BBC One this Christmas with two special, one-off shows – one on Christmas Day and one on New Year's Eve.
Hosted by Fearne Cotton and Reggie Yates, the programme will feature exclusive performances from some of the year's biggest stars and will reveal the Christmas number one.
It is the first time that Top of the Pops has been broadcast on New Year's Eve.
The New Year's programme will review the year in pop including highlights from music festivals such as BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend and Glastonbury and performances from the year's BBC session.
Jay Hunt, Controller, BBC One, said: "The shows will form the centrepiece of a massive musical offering during the festive season that we hope viewers are really going to enjoy."
TOTP host Fearne Cotton added: "I am beyond excited at the thought of a return to the mighty TOTP studios for these one-off shows.
"Reggie and I feel truly honoured to be able to introduce this year's number one – both shows are going to be huge!"
The BBC were criticised in October for replacing the annual Christmas music show with eight special episodes of the programme's archive spin-off, TOTP2.
X Factor judge Simon Cowell even offered to make the show himself. He told The Sun: "If they don't want it, I'll take it. I'm serious. Why end the tradition? It's like not having Christmas pudding. I don't believe in breaking with tradition."
Last year's Christmas Day special was watched by an average audience of 3.24 million.
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