A Christmas Cracker! Blue Peter

MUSIC: Good King Wenceslas

And there it is.

You can see all four candles are shining brightly,

which means it is officially our Blue Peter Christmas Special.

-Yes!

-Can't wait. Christmas is next week.

If you're not feeling festive yet, don't worry.

This show is fuller than Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve.

Now, would you please just take a look at our studio.

-Wow!

-We've transformed it into a winter wonderland,

filled with your cards and your gifts that you sent to us,

and the surprise Christmas tree that I showed you how to make last week.

Listen. Christmas is all about the dancing, clearly.

-And, also, the presents, so I'm going to challenge you two...

-Uh-oh.

..to a Christmas present wrapping challenge.

-Done.

-OK. It's on. I like the sound of that.

As well as that, we've got over 200 Blue Peter fans...

They're out in the corridors, warming up their vocal cords.

-# La-la-la. #

-Later, we're going to be doing... A bit like that.

..our annual Christmas sing-along - we cannot wait for that.

First, you may be very used to mince pies and Christmas puddings

-and all that kind of thing at Christmas time.

-Yeah!

But a few weeks ago,

I went to find out just why these are Christmas traditions.

So, if I'm going to explain

where some of our Christmas traditions came from,

I'm going to need somewhere grand, luxurious and a little bit special.

Yeah, that'll do.

This is Osborne House on the Isle of Wight,

and it's a house fit for royalty, literally.

For 18 years, this is where Queen Victoria spent Christmas.

So, it's got plenty of festive history.

Wow! This room's amazing!

'Which is why it's got its own historian, Michael Hunter.'

Why did Queen Victoria love coming here?

Osborne was quiet, it was an escape,

it was somewhere where Queen Victoria and her family could come

and really enjoy a really jolly, happy Christmas together.

And Queen Victoria played a huge part in Christmas, didn't she?

The way that we celebrate Christmas today, with trees and a big meal,

I think that was something

that Queen Victoria and Prince Albert really started.

What would this room have looked like when Queen Victoria was here?

It would have been a bit different.

I'm not going to explain too much about that at the moment.

Let's show you what happened in here at Christmas.

And show you we will.

We're going to make the main hall at Osborne House

look similar to Queen Victoria's time.

Along the way, I'll be explaining

how some of the things that put the jingle in Christmas came about.

Stuff like this.

The Victorians were the first to make mince pies sweet.

Originally, they had meat in them, with fruit added to bulk it out.

But when Queen Victoria was on the throne, sugar was cheaper,

which meant that they could ditch the meat,

giving us the sweet treat we know and love today.

But I wonder what the meat version tasted like.

-OK, well, proof is in the pudding. Shall I go for it?

-Go for it.

Oh.

That is meaty. I can see why they changed them.

Enough with the pies.

Time to get on with recreating Queen Victoria's Christmas.

First, the huge tree.

It is quite strange that at Christmas time,

we plonk trees in our houses.

Why did that start?

I think it was really started

by Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert.

Everybody else sort of copied it.

But this one, particularly, is strange. It's fake.

Yep, that's right.

Believe it or not,

Queen Victoria was one of the first people to have an artificial tree.

Looking good.

That way, it would stay looking its best for any important guests.

It's officially Christmas!

Yeah! Wow!

There we go. I think that looks pretty good.

Good enough for Queen Victoria, definitely.

And almost so good, I can see it on the front of a Christmas card.

In 1843, a man called Henry Cole was so busy,

he couldn't write to all his friends and family at Christmas.

So, he had a clever time-saving idea.

He asked an artist to paint a picture of a family enjoying Christmas.

Henry had prints made and sent to everyone,

and with that, the first Christmas card was born.

So, there you have it. Another Christmas classic.

And another Christmas essential is this, isn't it, Michael?

The wreath. So, how did this come about?

In the days before tinsel and very glittery baubles,

one had to make do with what one could get out of the garden,

and create these round wreaths.

While we hang up this classic Christmas decoration,

it's time for another first, and this one's a cracker.

Wow! Nice beard.

In the late 1800s, Tom Smith wasn't a happy man.

He made sweets, but he wanted to make them extra special for Christmas.

So, he thought about it.

And then he thought about it some more.

And some more.

In fact, Tom thought about it for seven long years.

And then, suddenly, while listening to his roaring fire, it came to him.

He would put a crackle and a bang in the sweet wrapper,

and so he created the world's first Christmas cracker.

And crackers can be found on the table

for the most important meal of the year - Christmas dinner.

It can't be that hard to set the table for the Queen, right?

-Just, knives, forks and loads of glasses.

-Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no.

It's a bit more complicated than that.

There were three guys employed by Queen Victoria

just to set these tables.

-That was their job all year, set the table for Queen Victoria?

-Yeah.

So, we're setting the table

to exactly how Her Majesty would have had it for her festive feast.

And it's a precise job.

The knives and forks have to be exactly the same distance apart.

Yeah, a little bit wonky.

No time to admire that, though. Our room is almost there.

But we just need a few finishing touches.

And finally, we've finished.

The room has been transformed into a feast of Christmas loveliness.

So, there you have it.

A room and a Christmas set for a queen. Just need my crown now...!

No? Yeah, I'll leave the jokes to Barney.

-Yes. Yes, you should, cos I'm hilarious.

-Yes, that's right.

If you want to have a go at testing your knowledge, head online.

-There's a Christmas tradition quiz that you can have a go at.

-Love it.

Challenge time. We're going to need a bit of help for this one.

-I knew you were going to do that!

-It's what I do when I get excited.

-Let's get him in.

-Yeah, let's do it.

-The Art Ninja himself, Ricky Martin.

-Yeah!

CHEERING

-Hello.

-Ricky!

-Welcome.

-Thank you...

-It's not for you.

-We all know how hard it is wrapping presents at Christmas time.

-Yes.

-I want to put your Christmas wrapping skills to the test.

-OK.

-You can have 30 seconds.

-Yeah.

You're going to have to neatly wrap a present.

-Only 30 seconds?

-Only 30 seconds.

-Right.

-I think that's OK.

-Here's one I wrapped earlier.

-Very good. OK.

There's a guide you can use. Yours aren't going to be as simple.

-You're going to have something a little bit more unusual.

-OK.

-Uh-oh.

-Presenters, to your presents.

-Oh, let's do it.

-You've got to be kidding!

-Oh, come on!

-Why do I get the ball? I've been stitched right up.

-What on earth...!

-I think you guys are going to have a lot of fun.

-Are you ready?

-Yes.

Three, two, one, wrap.

KLAXON

A bit more simple there.

Why have we only got 30 seconds?

Oh, no! We can't rip it.

-Keep your heart in it, guys.

-Barney!

-I didn't do that.

Have I got to disguise it so you don't know what it is?

It does help a little bit. Much neater there, Radzi.

Oh, no. There's no time left!

OK, I didn't expect that. That's a different technique.

I've done a mischief.

KLAXON

Unfortunately, you're out of time.

-The buzzer has gone.

-The important thing is that you tried.

We did try very hard. But they all look terrible.

Now, unfortunately, I can't pick a winner.

-You weren't wrapping up these presents for me.

-What?

-Really?

-All right, cockers?

-THEY CHEER

-Hey!

-All right, dude?

-Hey, Hacker.

-Wrapping them up for me, cocker.

By jingle, you've made a right mess of them.

You made a dog's dinner of it, which is one of the things I quite like.

-We only had 30 seconds.

-We didn't have very long.

It's longer in dog years. Let's have a little look through.

What have you done there, Barney?

I've done a ball with a flair-y bit on the back of it.

-That's not even wrapped!

-It's a mess! Show us yours, Linds.

I can't move it off the table. It will all fall apart.

-But this is my sombrero.

-Monstrosity. And, Radz, show us your one.

Mine is a cricket bat, which you can't tell,

because I've wrapped it all!

I think the best one of the three -

and to be fair, cocker, they're all weak -

it's Radz, he's the best!

What?! CHEERING

Well done, Radz.

Well done, Ricky Martin.

If you jump onto the website, you will learn an awful lot,

because Ricky Martin, the man, the myth, the legend,

will be teaching you how to wrap the perfect present.

Better than this, hopefully.

-Do you know what, Linds?

-What?

-I'm not feeling Christmassy.

-Really?

-Yes!

-Oh, Radz, don't be like that. There's Christmas in the air.

Maybe what you need is a mega-band

who've got four top-ten singles and a triple-platinum-selling album.

I'm thinking Scouting For Girls. What do you reckon, Radz?

-Linds, I am in the mood now.

-Good.

APPLAUSE

# Your smile warms me

# Like central heating

# Hot chocolate on a frosty evening

# Warm breath, cold lips

# That I've been waiting for

# All my life to kiss

# People pass by

# But we don't notice

# I try, yeah, I try

# But I'm just hopelessly in love with

# The girl here by my side

# On a cold, dark Christmas night

# There's a little bit of Christmas in the air

# There's a little bit of Christmas in the air

# There's a little bit of Christmas in the air

# And it feels so nice

# Loving you for the first time

# The shops open late

# And the school band sings a song

# A crowd gathers

# As the scout group marches on

# We'll meet our friends

# And sing a Christmas song

# I don't know where time's gone

# The high street's closed to all traffic

# We walk in the road

# And it feels like magic

When I hold you close

# Nothing's ever felt so right

# On a cold, dark Christmas night

# There's a little bit of Christmas in the air

# There's a little bit of Christmas in the air

# There's a little bit of Christmas in the air

# And it feels so nice

# There's a little bit of Christmas in the air

# There's a little bit of Christmas in the air

# There's a little bit of Christmas in the air

# And it feels so right

# Loving you so hard tonight

# I kissed her under Christmas lights

# It was the best night of my life

# Loving you for the first time

# So fall

# Won't you fall on me?

# And I'll be there

# With whatever you need

# And I know it might sound stupid

# But nothing felt so right

# As loving you

# On that cold, dark Christmas night

# There's a little bit of Christmas in the air

# There's a little bit of Christmas in the air

# There's a little bit of Christmas in the air

# And it feels so nice

# There's a little bit of Christmas in the air

# There's a little bit of Christmas in the air

# There's a little bit of Christmas in the air

# And it feels so right

# Loving you so hard tonight

# I kissed her under Christmas lights

# It was the best night of my life

# Loving you for the first time. #

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Boys, amazing!

-It was such a Christmassy song, you've made it snow.

-Oh, beautiful!

That is one of the best Christmas songs we've heard for a while.

Everybody's singing it. That means it's going to be number one.

-Hopefully.

-Let's talk about the album as well.

New album, Still Thinking About You,

which came out last month and doing very well.

Lots of acoustic songs like that, nice upbeat...

Nice sing-along... Once you've heard it, you know all the words.

-That's us.

-And what about the badge you're wearing?

-How exciting is that?

-This is... Yeah. I'm not even joking.

This is as exciting as a Christmas number one. I'm not even joking.

Let's talk about the most exciting day, of course - Christmas Day.

What are you going to be doing?

I'm just going to be at home with my family, stuffing my face.

Then sleeping for a few hours, getting back up,

eating some more, sleeping for a few hours...

-Sounds good.

-A perfect Christmas Day.

I'm sure next year's going to be a very successful one for you boys.

Thank you very much, Scouting For Girls.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

-Ohh! We loved that, didn't we?

-Legends.

Something else that we love is this. It's this week's big badge wall.

It's looking festive, fun, it's sparkly.

You guys have done a really great job. You have not disappointed.

Katie and Hannah from Skipton,

they're sisters, and they sent in these.

They're kind of 3-D shiny bits there.

You can see that me, Radz and Barns, we're all on these little baubles.

At the top, Iggy's got her very own star.

Iggy, in fact, has her very own drawing. She's loving it.

She's wearing a little sparkly collar and she's even got her own bone.

Iggs, do you like it?

-Yeah.

-There you have it.

Oliver from Hampshire, thank you so much for sending in these.

We have our very own sock snowmen and we've got one each.

-Can I take one?

-Linds, that's one for you.

-Little green one.

-Barn, one for you.

-Thank you very much.

-Oliver, hero.

-Love them.

-Lovely.

Now, it's not just the snowmen wrapping up warm for winter.

The presenters are, too, according to Christopher from Coventry.

There's Lindsey and Radzi saying, "Merry Christmas."

This guy down here, you'd think it was me but, actually, it's not.

It's Bart, our camera guy over here.

Isn't that an uncanny resemblance? Christopher, how did you know?

That's amazing. Thank you so much for getting in touch.

Thank you so much to all of you who've got in touch.

We've loved decorating the studio with your brilliant festive post.

Thank you.

If you haven't been in touch to get your badge,

what are you waiting for?

You could make it your resolution.

All the details that you need are on the Blue Peter website.

Maybe you have got a badge. What colour are you going to go for next?

There are six to choose from.

All you have to do is send the details to the usual address.

We love to hear from you.

Next up, I can feel a Russell-Radzi festive challenge on the way.

DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYS

This year, Radzi and I have taken our rivalry to the next level.

-We've battled it out on water...

-Yeah!

..on land... THEY SHOUT OUT

..and now, as 2015 comes to a close, we're going head-to-head on ice.

This is Hyde Park Winter Wonderland in London,

and it's here that we're taking on our frosty face-off.

We're going to see who can make the best one of these, an ice sculpture.

Before we get to work ourselves, let's meet ice master Jamie.

He sculpted a lot of these amazing creations.

I've seen some snowmen in my time, but that is, hands down,

the greatest snowman I've ever seen.

-He's very cool, isn't he?

-It's amazing.

Yeah!

I am an ice sculpture!

-Is your face cold?

-Very cold.

-Get out!

That's because this place is kept at minus 8 degrees

to stop the ice from melting.

Right, enough of this cave of coldness.

Bring on the ice-sculpting challenge.

-OK, show us how it's done.

-OK.

-I want to see this.

-All right.

-Straight away, so much has come off.

-You made that look really easy.

In a matter of just minutes,

Jamie chips away to create the perfect Christmas tree.

-There we go.

-Wow! Look at that.

-Look at that.

And we're going to have ten minutes to do the same. Simple(!)

-And then we're going to compare them at the end...

-OK.

-..to see who's done best.

-OK.

-Are you ready?

-Let's do it.

-Radz, good luck.

-Good luck, Linds.

-Go.

OK...

I get off to an absolute flyer.

It's like I've been doing it for years.

I'm scared to... Oh!

Don't be scared. Go for it.

There you go. You've made a mark.

I'm being a bit more cautious, but it's a marathon, not a sprint.

Oh, no.

Soon, we're both up and running. But this ice sculpting is hard work.

-I haven't even got halfway there.

-No, my arm hurts.

-I'm a little bit tired!

-My arm really hurts!

-Oh, that's really nice and delicate.

-I've taken the lead.

Don't get too confident, Radz. Eventually, I find my rhythm.

Excellent.

I'd hurry up. I'm on to the finishing touches.

I've just got the branches to do.

Don't try and blow it to look more professional.

-Oh, no.

-How long have we got?

-Three minutes.

-What?!

-Three minutes to go.

-I'm behind.

-I'm very much in the lead.

All I've got to do is do the finishing touches.

Oh!

Bit unnecessary.

Careful, Linds. You've got to treat the ice with respect.

OK, just one minute left. One minute to go.

-Radz, be careful there. Nice and delicate.

-Chill out, Radzi.

You'll get... SHE GASPS

Oh, no! I just...

What was that about being careful, Radz?

-That's it, time's up.

-Oh, yes!

In just ten minutes,

we've turned our ordinary block of ice into a beautiful Christmas tree.

Well, I've actually turned mine into two beautiful trees, Linds.

But whose is the best?

And the winner is...

-Lindsey!

-Yeah!

-Sorry.

-Fix!

Look, it's awesome. I mean...

Radzi, you were doing well till the top fell off.

The thing I like about Lindsey's

is that I was doing very sort of sweeping branches,

but Lindsey's done much more angular, stylised branches.

-Jamie, thank you so much.

-Thank you, Jamie. Cheers.

-Thank you both.

-We loved that. Can we take these home?

-Yeah.

I'm taking mine home, because I'm the real winner.

That was so cool, that challenge.

If you were wondering what happened to Lindsey's tree, it's here.

-Oi!

-Yeah, I left it in the studio for too long.

-Barney!

-I'm sorry.

It wasn't my fault.

Anyway, Christmas decorations, they're a huge part of Christmas.

Not just the ones that are here in our studio,

but the ones in your homes as well.

One thing that we love about Christmas here is tradition.

And what's been with us for nearly 50 years

is this beautiful Nativity scene over here.

Absolutely. Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus

who Christians like myself believe to be the son of God.

And here we have the Blue Peter Nativity scene.

And in accordance with the Bible, we have Jesus' parents there,

Mary and Joseph.

We have the stable animals.

We have the shepherds that came to visit him.

And, again in accordance with the Bible,

we have the Three Wise Men bearing their gifts

of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

And last, by no means least, the most important person of all.

Baby Jesus in his manger. I'll place him just there.

We hope you have a very, very happy Christmas.

We've had a pretty action-packed year here on Blue Peter.

You've been there for it all the way.

-You might remember when I ran the London Marathon.

-Awesome.

As well as that, you saw Barney turn back time on Big Ben.

And Radzi, of course, did the walk that changed the world.

And some of the guests we've had in have been incredible.

Olympic gymnast Beth Tweddle, the Vamps

and, of course, the legend that is Morph.

Love that episode. It was so awesome.

2016 is set to be bigger and better. Yeah, he said it, people.

Here's a sneak peak.

One thing's guaranteed. We're going to have fun.

-Action.

-Maya is about to make her Wolfblood debut.

Keep driving, keep driving. Keep driving.

Woohoo!

There is no way she's going to find me.

This challenge is going to be... so tough.

We're in LA!

It absolutely hums down here. Urgh.

Woohoo.

-We are going to have fun. I'll high five to that.

-Yes.

-Got you.

-Ohh.

-Cannot wait!

-It's going to be so good.

-We have got a lot of fun coming up. I've just thought, guys.

-Yeah?

This is the last time we're going to all be together before Christmas.

-Oh, yeah.

-Ohh!

-So, shall we open our presents?

-Present time!

-Me first.

-Straight in there.

-I think I know what it is.

It's a pony!

No, I know exactly what this is. This...

My challenge involves getting back on the saddle of a bike.

Only, this time, Radzi's going to be joining me.

-It's going to be really tough.

-I want to be next!

-Go on, then.

-OK.

-I wonder what this could be.

-I've got a surfboard.

-He loves it!

-I can't even get into it. Doesn't...

Oh, look at this! It's a Blue Peter one. I'm going to get on it.

Iggy, come quick.

-I'm surfing.

-I wonder what challenge that could be!

-I wonder.

Right, I'm going to go next. I've got a sparkly one here. "To Lindsey".

And I think if I open it up, there should be something very exciting

that gives you a clue about my next challenge.

-Hamster ball. Hamster wheel there. You hold that.

-What?

And some armbands. I can't tell you any more than that.

But it's going to be my toughest challenge yet.

As well as that, Iggs... Are you ready for this?

We've got Iggy a little treat.

That's not cos she's doing a challenge.

It's just cos we couldn't be prouder of her.

So, I'm going to open this up for Iggy. Iggy!

-Ohh!

-Look at this.

-It says her name.

It's her very own little Iggy bowl. We'll put it there for you.

She thinks there's water. There will be in a second.

If you want to see any more from Iggy having fun at Christmas time,

head online to the website, it's all there for you.

Time for my favourite part of the show.

It's time for a Christmas carol around our Christmas tree.

If you know the words, join in.

We'll be singing Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.

-We won't be doing it alone. We've got a lot of help.

-That's right.

We're going to be joined by Temple and Beaver Road primary schools

and Christ The King Catholic High School.

We've got Stockton Wood,

St Joseph's and St Christopher's primary schools.

We're also going to be joined by the BBC North Staff Choir.

The Central North Salvation Army band are leading them in.

-I can hear them now.

-Here we go.

-I love this bit.

-Oh, yes!

MUSIC: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

# Hark! The herald angels sing

# Glory to the newborn king

# Peace on earth and mercy mild

# God and sinners reconciled

# Joyful, all ye nations rise

# Join the triumph of the skies

# With the angelic host proclaim

# Christ is born in Bethlehem

# Hark! The herald angels sing

# Glory to the newborn king

# Christ by highest heav'n adored

# Christ the everlasting lord

# Late in time

# Behold him come

# Offspring of a virgin's womb

# Veiled in flesh

# The Godhead see

# Hail the incarnate deity

# Pleased as man with man to dwell

# Jesus, our Immanuel

# Hark! The herald angels sing

# Glory to the newborn king... #

Before we sing the next verse,

we can't tell you how much it means to us

that you all sit at home and watch Blue Peter,

so thank you, and have a happy and healthy Christmas.

There's not going to be a Blue Peter on next week,

but we will be back on New Year's Eve, bringing you a special show

of some of the world championship challenges that we did in 2015.

Our first show of the New Year's going to be on 7th January.

That's a Thursday - put it in your diaries.

We have got such an exciting 2016 for you. You don't want to miss it.

-We hope to see you there.

-That's right.

The website's going to be there for you all of Christmas,

so head online and have some fun there.

Don't forget that Barney is going to be doing a Christmas message,

just like the Queen, on Christmas Day.

I'm like the Queen, I can't wait!

For now, though, from all of us here, have a very merry Christmas.

Everyone, all together.

-ALL:

-Merry Christmas!

# Hail the heav'n-born prince of peace

# Hail the son of righteousness

# Light and life to all he brings

# Ris'n with healing in his wings

# Mild he lays his glory by

# Born that man no more may die

# Born to raise the sons of earth

# Born to give them second birth

# Hark! The herald angels sing

# Glory to the newborn king. #