Diane Morgan on We Wish You A Mandy Christmas

Mandy’s Christmas ‘special’ comes to BBC Two on 20 December at 10pm to 10.20pm.

What is the true essence of Christmas?

Is it the glimmer in a schoolboy’s expectant eye as he opens his pillowcase on Christmas morning and tucks into a delicious walnut and a bruised tangerine?

Is it the wide smile on a publican’s face as he welcomes merry revellers with a vat of warm mulled wine he’s made in a sort of electric keg he normally puts oxtail soup in?

Is it the haunting harmony of a choir respecting the current Covid protocols?

Or, is it a Christmas episode of a TV show that is slightly longer than usual to make it appear ‘special’? Find out the answer in this Christmas episode of Mandy, starring Diane Morgan as our eponymous heroine. It is slightly longer than usual.

Featuring Johnny Vegas, Pearce Quigley, John Cooper Clarke, Jo Hartley and Michael Spicer.

Here Diane Morgan aka Mandy reveals all about the special.

Did you enjoy doing the Mandy Christmas special?

It’s based on A Christmas Carol which is the ultimate ghost story, and I love ghosts, so I really loved doing it. And the three ghosts are played by amazing performers so it was great fun.

Can you tell us about the Mandy Christmas special?

Mandy doesn’t really like Christmas, so it’s a Christmas Special about someone who doesn’t like Christmas.

You feel quite sorry for Mandy during the Christmas episode, looking into her past Christmases, can you explain a little bit about why Mandy doesn’t like Christmas?

It’s the same reasons I don’t really like Christmas. It sort of forces you to look into the past, and not everyone is having a great time at Christmas. It’s hard to enjoy the day when you think of all the people on their own while you’re doing a jig.

Mandy wanted to watch Die Hard at Christmas, do you have a Christmas film you watch every year?

It’s not a film, but I like the documentary series The World At War. Although they never made a Christmas episode of it. I suppose the Stalingrad episode is the closest you get.

Who do you think Mandy would want to kiss under the mistletoe?

Who are those men that pull buses with their teeth?

What was your favourite Christmas TV special?

Morecambe and Wise. They don’t bang on about Christmas very much.