Christmas Day TV 2023: What’s on television on ITV & Channel 4, including The Masked Singer Special?

It’s perhaps the fiercest day for the battle over the television remote: Christmas Day. With scores of channels available to households across the festive season, alongside streaming services with a back catalogue of TV and film favourites, many viewers are spoiled for choice regarding their options this year. 

But what about those free-to-air channels if you wanted a day of having your viewing options curated for you? While we’ve discussed already what the BBC has to offer this year, now is a chance to take a look at the offerings available on two more terrestrial television channels - ITV and Channel 4.

Perhaps the show that many people are talking about, airing on Christmas Day, on ITV is The Masked Singer: Christmas Special, featuring four celebrities dressed up in Christmas-themed attire - including a Brussel Sprout -  as they try and fool the panel of judges which includes a special Christmas Day guest.

Meanwhile, over on Channel 4, Stephen Fry is this year’s orator for the annual The Alternative Christmas Message while the channel has several films throughout the day, from Kung Fu Panda 2 for the young ones to a rescreen of the classic 90s Tom Hanks feature, Forrest Gump.

What’s on ITV on Christmas Day?

• 6am: Fletchers’ Family Farm at Christmas
• 7am: Good Morning Britain
• 9am: Lorraine
• 10am: This Morning
• 12pm: James Martin’s Saturday Morning
• 2pm: Ainsley’s Christmas Favourites
• 3pm: The King’s Speech
• 3:10pm: You’ve Been Framed
• 3:40pm: ITV News
• 3:45pm: In For a Penny: Christmas Crackers
• 4:30pm: Sing 2 (Film)
• 6:30pm: Emmerdale
• 7pm: Coronation Street
• 7:30pm: The Masked Singer Christmas Special
• 9pm: The 1% Club Christmas Special
• 10pm: Barry Humphries - The Last Laugh
• 11pm: ITV News
• 11:15pm: The King’s Speech
• 11:25pm: Pitch Perfect 2 (Film)

What’s on Channel 4 on Christmas Day?

• 5:45am: Jamie: Keep Cooking at Christmas
• 6:10pm: The Simpsons
• 6:35am: The Simpsons
• 7:10am: The Simpsons
• 7:30am: The Tiger That Came to Tea
• 8:05am: Father Christmas
• 8:40am: Puss in Boots (Film)
• 10:25am: Kung Fu Panda 2
• 12:15pm: The Snowman
• 12:50pm: Mog’s Christmas
• 1:25pm: The Snowman and the Snow Dog
• 1:55pm: The Great British Bake Off Christmas Specials
• 3:10pm: The Italian Job (Film)
• 5:10pm: The Alternative Christmas Message - Stephen Fry
• 5:20pm: Channel 4 News
• 5:30pm: Home Alone (Film)
• 7:30pm: The Festive Pottery Throw Down
• 8:45pm: The Piano at Christmas
• 10pm: Forrest Gump (Film)

What to watch on streaming services on Christmas Day

NationalWorld has brought together a companion guide to all the highlights on streaming services this year, including Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+.