BBC makes HUGE schedule shake-up for August bank holiday – and some viewers will hate it
CHRISTMAS has come early to the Beeb — with THREE festive specials set to air on BBC Three over the August Bank Holiday.
The elves at Broadcasting House have thrown out the usual favourites like RuPaul’s Drag Race and Glow Up, in favour of the yuletide hits.
That’s bad news if you wince at every play of Mariah Carey’s wintery tunes and grumble about dropped pine needles.
The Bank Holiday Monday festivities begin at 7pm with Top Gear: Driving Home For Christmas.
First broadcast in 2021, it follows Freddie Flintoff, Chris Harris and Paddy McGuiness as they play “car secret Santa” to transport a giant Christmas tree across Britain.
At 8pm, fresh from the series’ National Television Award shortlisting for Best Comedy, comes Ghosts’ festive special.
Then 2020 film Lost At Christmas, a romcom about two strangers stranded in the Scottish Highlands on Christmas Eve, airs at 8.25pm.
Simon Kendrick, the channel’s head of scheduling said: “As it’s the last Bank Holiday before Christmas, we’re hoping viewers will treat them-elves with BBC Three’s tree-mendous festive line-up.”
Three aren’t the only ones fiddling with the schedules this week.
On ITV, Jonathan Ross became the latest casualty of a shake-up to make space for the Rugby World Cup, the group stages of which begin on September 8.
His Saturday night show has been dropped, with the upcoming 21st series pushed way back to 2024.
Detective drama Grantchester has also lost its spot and won’t be on screens until next year.
Davina McCall’s The Masked Dancer and Chris Kamara’s Ninja Warrior was also “rested” to make space for the egg-chasers.
A source said: “It’s all change in the schedule but at least BBC Three is having fun with it.
“Scrooges will say it’s too early but festive telly is one of the few reasons to look forward to dark nights.”
Yesterday I revealed that Michelle Keegan’s Brassic was getting its first ever festive special.
It’ll be New Years before you know it.