Tuesday 22 December 2020
Dirty Den Watts issuing Angie Watts with divorce papers on Christmas Day is voted the ultimate Christmas TV cliffhanger
Classic festive hits from Coronation Street, Gavin and Stacey and Sherlock all featured in the Top 20
Top 20 Christmas TV Cliffhangers are revealed by UKTVs Drama channel to celebrate its festive programming
Brits will typically spend six hours per day watching TV over Christmas and over a third of us have the TV on during Christmas dinner
Festive thriller what happened next moments from EastEnders, Gavin and Stacey and Sherlock have been named as the top Christmas TV Cliffhangers according to new research revealed today.
The poll of 2,000 British adults was specially commissioned to mark UKTVs Drama channels festive schedule which includes special EastEnders episodes from 25 years ago. Nearly a third of Brits (32%) voted the jaw-dropping EastEnders Christmas Day scene where resident bad boy, Dirty Den, surprises wife Angie with divorce papers after revealing that he knows shes been faking a terminal illness before the episode ends, as the Number 1 Christmas TV Cliffhanger.
The nations Top 20 Christmas TV Cliffhangers are revealed as:
EastEnders (December 1986) - After 19 years of marriage, Dirty Den Watts surprises Angie by revealing that he knows shes been fabricating her terminal illness. He then hands her his Christmas gift - divorce papers (32%)
Gavin and Stacey (December 2019) - Christmas special, Nessa gets down on one knee and proposes to Smithy, and the episode ends before Smithy can give an answer (22%)
Sherlock (January 2021) - Sherlock confesses to John to being a fraud, says his final goodbye and then steps off the hospital roof to his death (18%)
EastEnders (December 2007) - Stacey and Maxs affair is revealed to the Branning family whist watching a DVD, after Maxs daughter Lauren secretly films the pair sharing a kiss (17%)
Downton Abbey (December 2012) - Lady Mary returns early from Scotland, rushing to Cottage Hospital to deliver her healthy baby. Matthew soon joins her and meets his son and heir, but after he leaves back to Downton Abbey, he is killed in a car accident, and is left underneath his car, the other cast members are unaware of the death, leaving the audience left in suspense as they wonder what the future is for Lady Mary and their new baby (15%)
Gavin and Stacey (December 2008) - Dave proposes to Nessa and she accepts in front of a heartbroken Smithy. Smithy then begs Nessa to not marry Dave, before the episode ends (14%)
Doctor Who (December 2010) - Wilf breaks down as he begs the Doctor not to die, as the David Tennant Doctor hears the four knocks and cries I dont want to go... before he regenerates (13%)
The Royle Family (December 1999) - Denise goes into labour in the bathroom on Christmas Day, before shes taken off to hospital by Dave as the episode ends (12%)
Coronation Street (December 2010) - The Joinery bar explodes during Peter Barlows party. As a result, the viaduct running above the restaurant is destroyed, sending a tram careering onto the street, destroying D&S Alahans Corner Shop and The Kabin (12%)
EastEnders (December 1995) - Its Christmas time in the Butcher household, but thats not Father Christmas knocking at the door...Its Frank Butcher. Frank walks in the house leaving Pat stunned that hes back in her life (11%)
Coronation Street (December 2019) - The biggest Christmas Day drama in Corrie history, as Derek Milligan goes on a drunken shooting rampage seriously injuring people, including Robert. Derek falls to his death from atop a Helter Skelter, whilst Robert is severely injured in hospital, before viewers see Michelle in floods of tears as the episode ends (11%)
Emmerdale (December 2004) - In true soap style a Christmas disaster hits the Dales. A freak storm led to Tricia Dingle being crushed when the Woolpack pub wall collapses on her, leaving viewers wondering whether she would survive or not (10%)
EastEnders (December 1998) - Having been told by Tiffany only hours earlier that she is planning to leave the country, Grant snatches Courtney and flees. Hysterical and frightened, Tiffany pursues them, which results in her running straight into an oncoming car, driven by Frank Butcher. A helpless crowd watch as she dies at the scene, leaving Grant staring at Tiffanys body and viewers stunned as the episode ends in a New Years Eve thriller (8%)
EastEnders (December 2006) - Pauline Fowler dies underneath the Christmas tree before being discovered by Dot Cotton at the end of the episode (6%)
EastEnders (December 2014) - Mick attacks Dean, when he discovers Dean had raped Micks partner, Linda. It then turns out Mick and Dean are brothers, to everyones surprise (6%)
EastEnders (December 2002) - Jamie Mitchell is hit by Martins car outside Walford tube station and the episode ends, leaving viewers shocked and wondering what has happened to Jamie (5%)
EastEnders (December 2009) - Archie Mitchell is killed by a mysterious killer at the end of the Christmas Day episode, leading people to ask Who Killed Archie Mitchell? (5%)
Hollyoaks (December 2006) - Clare, realising that her husband Max has a life insurance policy worth £500,000, throws his brother Toms coat into an icy lake in the hope of finishing her husband off when he jumps to save Tom. Max is pulled from the lake and the episode finishes as he is being resuscitated. Will Max survive? (4%)
Coronation Street (December 2012) - Leanne and Nicks wedding gets called off by Nick, before Nick and Eva kiss in Nicks honeymoon suite (4%)
EastEnders (December 2016) - Mac Branning returns to Albert Square (2%)
Gavin and Stacey came in second, securing 22% of the public vote, with Nessas romantic proposal to Smithy in 2019. The cliffhanger stunned viewers as the episode ended before Smithy could even give Nessa an answer. The gasp
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Tuesday 22 December 2020 
