The beloved Christmas TV special holds a special place in the nation’s heart, watched over mince pies and prosecco with a party hat for good measure. This year, it’s Amandaland‘s turn to join the club – and we simply can’t wait.

Among school drop off’s and playground politics, Amandaland was a breath of fresh air when it landed on screens in February. Filling the Motherland-shaped hold in our hearts since the series ended in 2022, the spin-off series focused on Lucy Punch’s glamorous Amanda as she navigated life as a single mum post-divorce. The show was an instant success, averaging 5.7 million viewers to date. Who knew SoHa could be so entertaining?

Produced by Merman, a second series is set to land In 2026 – but in the meantime, we’ll be getting our Lucy Punch kicks this holiday season. The BBC has confirmed Amandaland will be back with a Christmas special, with Lucy sharing, ‘[It’s] going to be an absolute cracker – it’s like totes fire, with all the festive feels, for reals. Slay bells!’
 

©BBC/Merman/Natalie Seery

With the countdown now one, here’s everything we know about the Amandaland Christmas special…

Who is starring in Amandaland‘s Christmas Special?

Of course, our Amandaland favourites will all return for the festive special. Lucy Punch will appear as Amanda, with Joanna Lumley returning as her egotistical mum Felicity. It’s thought Philippa Dunne will return as Amanda’s best pal Anne, with Amanda’s neighbour Mal, played by Samuel Anderson, also making a possible appearance. Other regular cast members of the series include Siobhan McSweeney as chef Della and Rochenda Sandall as the zen Fi, but it’s not known yet whether they’ll feature in Amanda’s holiday plans.

However, there is one new face joining the cast that fans can’t wait to see. Appearing in the Christmas special is Jennifer Saunders – who starred alongside Joanna Lumley in the now-iconic Absolutely Fabulous. Jennifer will star in the festive episode as Amanda’s Aunt Joan. The complete opposite of her snobbish elder sister Felicity, Joan is described as being a ‘ball of country-living, a enthusiastic upper-class buster.’

The episode will be a special moment for both Jennifer and Joanna, marking their first on-screen scripted reunion since AbFab.
 
Joanna and Jennifer first starred in AbFab together in 1992 ©Comic Relief via Getty Images

Opening up about stepping into the Amandaland universe, Jennifer shared, ‘I am delighted to be joining the fabulous Amandaland gang for a Christmas special. Playing Joanna’s on-screen sister is guaranteed to be a laugh, who doesn’t love a family reunion SoHa style?’

It seems Jennifer – who has recently appeared on shows including The Pentaverate and The Masked Singer – won’t be joining the cast permanently. Revealing that she’ll only be cameoing in the Christmas special, creator Holly Walsh and co-writer Laurence Rickard described the star as ‘the perfect addition to the gang.’

When can I watch the Amandaland Christmas Special?

There’s no exact release date for the Christmas special just yet, but we’ll keep you updated. Airing on BBC, it’ll also land on BBC iPlayer too for streaming. It’s bound to be fabulous, darling!