November 20, 2008 10:42

'Top Of The Pops' back after festive BBC U-turn

Veteran pop show will return to screens this Christmas

'Top Of The Pops' will be screened this Christmas following a U-turn by the BBC.

The pop show, which was axed on a weekly basis in 2006, was due to be retained for one-off events, until until schedulers announced 'Top Of The Pops' would not be shown this Christmas, as is traditional.

Following complaints, including plans by 'X Factor' boss Simon Cowell to purchase the programme and move it to ITV, it seems 'Top Of The Pops' will get a festive reprieve.

The show will now have two specials, one on Christmas Day and one on New Year's Eve.

"With shows on Christmas Day and New Year's Eve, 'Top Of The Pops' has never been bigger," BBC1 controller Jay Hunt BBC News. "The shows will form the centrepiece of a massive musical offering during the festive season that we hope viewers are really going to enjoy."

The programmes will be presented by Fearne Cotton and Reggie Yates, although transmission times have yet to be confirmed.