36 minutes ago East 17’s huge Christmas hit Stay Another Day has tragic story fans don’t know about

Stay Another Day by East 17 might be a Christmas classic - but many don't know about the real heartbreaking meaning behind the song after a band member suffered a devastating loss

Events

2 hours ago The Christmas that went wrong: The day was saved by the new friend I’d made on a drunken night out

I was alone in New York during the pandemic, in the aftermath of a breakup and unable to go home. A Korean family taught me to believe in the kindness of strangersLike many Jewish families, the Wolfsons take Christmas extremely seriously. Latkes and smoked salmon are served before homemade cranberry sauce and brussels sprouts. My dad’s hand-painted menorah, which he made during the ceramics cafe boom of the early 2000s, sits proudly underneath the Christmas tree.As such, I had never missed a Christmas with the family – although there had been some near misses. In 2019, we spent Christmas by my dad’s hospital bed after his stroke – us sipping on hospital canteen gingerbread lattes, him having Christmas dinner in the guise of vanilla-scented protein, fed through a tube. In 2020, I saw my family only from six feet away, double-masked and on the doorstep. I delivered presents, but they were not opened for a few days, to let any stray virus dissipate. Continue reading...

Politics

5 hours ago From Birds of a Feather's camel in Milton Keynes to Leslie Ash's turkey fire drama... The Christmas TV secrets they didn't want you to  know

A Christmas TV special is as much a staple of the Big Day as The Queen's - and, latterly, The King's - Speech.

Events

8 hours ago Coronation Street's Gail Platt's house torn apart in devastating fire ahead of dramatic exit

Helen Worth has played Gail Platt on Coronation Street for 50 years, and ITV has given a glimpse of her fiery Christmas Day departure

Events

9 hours ago EastEnders Michelle Collins warns fans will 'hate' Cindy Beale after explosive Christmas episode

EastEnders is gearing up for its dramatic Christmas Day episode, as Cindy Beale's affair with Junior Knight is exposed in explosive scenes - with Michelle Collins teasing all

Events

11 hours ago Exactly when to buy Christmas Day meal to save money and what to look out for in shop

A savings expert has revealed Christmas Eve is officially the best day to stock up on festive produce at unbeatable prices and provides extra tips for readers

Economics

12 hours ago Outnumbered fans concerned about one star ahead of dramatic BBC Christmas special

Outnumbered is back for a Christmas special on Boxing Day with all the original cast returning the series - as The Brockmans get ready to face some difficult news

Events

13 hours ago German city mourns as death toll rises following market attack just days before Christmas

Magdeburg in grief as at least five people are killed in attack on bustling market

Events

13 hours ago Just Stop Oil protester, 77, is recalled to prison days before Christmas because her wrists are too small for electronic tag

Grandmother Gaie Delap, from Bristol, was sentenced to 20 months in prison in August for her part in disruptive protests on the M25 in November 2022.

Events

15 hours ago ‘We’re figuring out cool ways of storytelling’: how TikTok is changing the way we watch musicals

Jorge Rivera-Herrans’s musical sensation Epic is just one of a series of works making a splash on the online platformWhen Jorge Rivera-Herrans released part of Epic: the Musical last Christmas, he managed to push Taylor Swift off the top of the US iTunes album charts. So there is a lot at stake when the final instalment of his musical retelling of the Odyssey is released on Christmas Day.Rivera-Herrans’s project has already been an extraordinary success, with more monthly listeners on Spotify (1.6m) than veterans such as Morrissey, Liam Gallagher, or the Sex Pistols, and 119m plays on the platform in the past 28 days alone. Continue reading...

Politics