Joy to the world! There’s another Doctor Who Christmas special on the way, which will be Ncuti Gatwa’s second year as the Doctor and feature Joy (Nicola Coughlan) as his companion.
BBC iPlayer will be streaming the Fifteenth Doctor’s newest adventure in the UK on Christmas Day (December 25) at 5:10 PM GMT. Not in the UK? Not a problem! With a VPN, you can watch the Doctor Who Christmas Special completely for free, from all over the world. I tested it for you, and here’s how you can do it.
How to Stream the 2024 Doctor Who Holiday Special
Whether you’re in the United States, India, or on Gallifrey, you’ll be able to follow the Doctor and his new companion along for free with a VPN. Make sure to tune in on December 25!
- Get a NordVPN account. You will need a subscription, but don’t worry! You can get your money back later.
- Download the NordVPN app.
- Connect to a NordVPN server in the UK by choosing it from the list in the app.
- Head over to the BBC iPlayer website.
- Create an account.
- Enjoy the Doctor Who Christmas Special at 5:10 PM on Christmas Day!
After the episode is over, you can use NordVPN’s 30-day money-back guarantee for a completely free experience.
If you need more information, check out our detailed instructions.
Where to Watch “Joy to the World”
This Christmas, there are multiple places where you can watch Doctor Who. Keep in mind that the special will be aired for the very first time on December 25 at 5.10 PM GMT. That’ll be 12.10 PM EST for viewers in the United States.
Over the years, I’ve watched Doctor Who’s new seasons and specials on many different platforms and in many different ways. Here are my top 3 ways to stream:
- BBC iPlayer (free!): If you ask me, watching Doctor Who on BBC iPlayer always makes for the best experience. It gives you free access to all available seasons, as well as live coverage of the newest episodes. It also works seamlessly with a VPN.
- BBC One: For those lucky people in the world who have access to BBC One through their TVs, watching the Christmas Special live is a sure way to keep up to date. The downside? You can’t watch back previous episodes, and only UK citizens (and some in nearby countries) tend to have access.
- Disney+: I love Disney, and when Disney+ acquired the international rights to Doctor Who last year, I was overjoyed. Disney+ is a great streaming platform with loads of content – and it’s available almost all over the world. Unfortunately, you do need a paid subscription in order to watch it.
Tested by Priscilla Sherman
Chief Editor
I recommend streaming on BBC iPlayer, especially if you don’t already have a Disney+ subscription. BBC’s platform is completely free and easily accessible even if you don’t live in the UK. Just get a VPN like NordVPN, which will allow you to (virtually) travel the world. It’s kind of like the TARDIS: in seconds, websites will think you’re in a completely different country.
If all you want is to stream the Doctor Who Christmas Special, you can cancel your VPN plan within 30 days to get a full refund. That is, unless you’d like to keep watching and catch the Doctor in the upcoming fifteenth season of the show!
A VPN is incredibly useful, as it allows you to stream countless shows, series, and even sport events. If that’s something you’d like to take advantage of, you can always hold on to your NordVPN subscription. Right now, NordVPN even has a special Christmas deal, so you can get it for just $ 3.49 a month.
Step-By-Step Instructions to Stream Doctor Who on BBC iPlayer
Watching BBC iPlayer from abroad is very easy. All you have to do is set up a VPN. Need some help? We’ll guide you through all the necessary steps:
- Sign up with NordVPN. BBC iPlayer is only available in the United Kingdom, so if you’re abroad, you’ll need a VPN to get a UK IP address and watch Doctor Who on the platform. NordVPN is my favorite VPN, as it’s fast and brilliant with streaming.
- Download and install the NordVPN app through the link provided once you complete setting up your account. You can do this on your computer, but also on your smart TV, tablet, or smartphone, depending on where you’d like to stream the Doctor Who Christmas special.
- Log in on the app with the NordVPN account you created in step 1.
- Choose a VPN server in the UK to connect to by searching “United Kingdom” in the “search connections” bar. Click the correct server, and your real IP address will be replaced with a British IP.
- Go to the BBC iPlayer website and create a free account. The BBC will ask you to fill in a UK postal code. You can google some examples.
- Click on “Channels,” choose “ONE,” and click “Watch live” on December 25. Remember: The Doctor Who Christmas Special starts at 5:10 PM, London time. Enjoy!
- Want a completely free experience? After the episode is over, you can cancel NordVPN within the first thirty days and get your money back.
And that’s all there is to it! NordVPN will run in the background of your device, allowing you to watch the Doctor and Joy in their Christmas adventure. With NordVPN, you won’t have to worry about lagging streams. And, of course, it doesn’t just work for BBC iPlayer, but also for other streaming services, like Netflix and Hulu.
Just make sure you set up your NordVPN account in time to catch the Doctor Who special!
Doctor Who Christmas Special: Cast
The BBC announced the cast for the upcoming Doctor Who Holiday Special “Joy to the World,” and it doesn’t disappoint! There are some stellar actors in this line-up, including Nicola Coughlan, who you might know from Derry Girls and Bridgerton.
Here are the many faces that’ll be gracing your screen this Christmas:
- Ncuti Gatwa – The Doctor
- Nicola Coughlan – Joy Almondo
- Jonathan Aris – Hotel Manager
- Joel Fry – Trev Simpkins
- Julia Watson – Hilda Flockhart
- Peter Benedict – Basil Flockhart
- Steph de Whalley – Anita Benn
- Niamh Marie Smith – Sylvia Trench
- Samuel Sherpa-Moore – Tenzing Norgay
- Phil Baxter – Edmund Hillary
- Joshua Leese – Mr Single
- Ell Potter – Server
- Ruchi Rai – Receptionist
- Liam Prince-Donnelly – Barman
Like last year’s 60th anniversary, the 2023 Christmas special, and the latest season, Russell T. Davies will be returning as the showrunner and executive producer. Joining him are previous showrunner Steven Moffat, who wrote the episode, and Alex Pillai, the director.
Doctor Who Christmas Episode (2024): Joy to the World
What will this year’s Christmas episode be about? Check out the Doctor Who trailer below for a sneak peek.
This Christmas, the TARDIS will be arriving in the Time Hotel, a hotel with access to every single Christmas across time and space. There, the Doctor meets Joy, a shy woman who checked into the hotel on Christmas Eve, 2024. As always when the Doctor is near, adventure ensues!
In Ncuti’s own words:
[The Christmas special]’s got such a joyous, lovely, warm Christmassy feel. There is so much heart in this story which touches on loss, love and humour.
Ncuti Gatwa
Current Doctor
After saying goodbye to Ruby Sunday at the end of last season, the Doctor is sure to have Whovians on the edge of their seats again. I can’t wait!
If you don’t want to miss it, make sure to get access to Disney+ or (for a free option) BBC iPlayer. And if you’re not in the UK, don’t forget to get NordVPN before Christmas Day so you can enjoy a carefree day of Doctor Who!
