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French and Saunders, Eric Clapton, Barbara Windsor, Kylie Minogue, Levi Roots and the late Kenny Everett are among the popular personalities that will make up Radio 2's 2010 all-star Christmas schedule, providing listeners with a range of music, comedy, entertainment and documentaries guaranteed to be in the 'best possible taste'!

Kicking off the Christmas festivities on Thursday 23 December Chris Evans will be hosting his Breakfast Show from around the kitchen table at the Archbishop of York's historic Bishopthorpe Palace and finding out what treats an Archbishop keeps in his fridge.

Chris's Yorkshire Yuletide will also feature live music from Manic Street Preachers' James Dean Bradfield and KT Tunstall, who will be singing some Christmas classics. The York Minster choir will also be present including 12-year-old sensation, choirgirl Isabel. There will be seasonal surprises aplenty and the whole show will be streamed live on the Radio 2 website so expect lots of visual treats.

On the same day, Jeremy Vine's programme will be Remembering The Troops during his last show before Christmas, with Jeremy broadcasting not only on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Radio 2, but to troops in Afghanistan and around the world on the forces' broadcaster BFBS.

This is the sixth consecutive year that Jeremy will be dedicating an hour of his show to the members of the Armed Forces who are serving overseas.

Jeremy will be joined by Radio 2 Padre, Canon Roger Royle, to read out messages of support from families here to their loved ones, and vice versa. He will also speak to some of those who will be spending Christmas at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan.

Jeremy Vine said: "We had such an overwhelming response to last year's 'Remembering The Troops' special that I'm delighted once more to be able to connect families in the UK with their loved ones who are serving abroad at this special time of year."

A comedic Christmas is certain with the radio presenting debut of comedy queens French and Saunders in their first Christmas shows together for five years.

The pair will host three two-hour shows on Boxing Day, New Year's Day and New Year Bank Holiday (3 January) and will feature an eclectic mix of chat, music and of course the pair's trademark humour.

Speaking recently to Simon Mayo, Dawn French commented: "Jennifer and I have always wanted to do a radio show and we've only had the chance to do it this year. And we've done a pilot. Apparently making radio is a skill that we, frankly, didn't have!

"People make things seem so easy, people who can do it well make it look easy. So you think 'yeah, I can do that, lovely' and we sat down to do it and for a start, I became a time lunatic which I couldn't believe I would do. I misread the clock at every single occasion and started winding up guests one question in.

"The music I'll be playing is really my record collection and her record collection and I'm going to play some songs that she [Jennifer] won't know what they will be. Some will be little presents of joy and some will be things she loathes. I know the music she loathes, and they'll be a certain amount of that in there, just as torture!"

Jennifer Saunders said: "I'm delighted to be presenting a show on the wireless with me good pal Dawn French. We hopes to be doing talking and spinning an unusual mix of happening disc records and talking to guests if any agree to join us. What joy."

Adding to the comedy will be a special 'new' show from the late Kenny Everett. Kenny Everett's Christmas Selection Box features a wealth of archive gems, including characters such as Captain Kremmen, Gran and Rock Salmon, plus many inventive jingles sung by Kenny.

A variety of music will be introduced by him, ranging from oldies by his favourite pop artists to classical melodies and there will also be some recent records that Kenny would have liked for their jolliness and tunefulness.

In addition Paul Gambaccini will present a documentary about Kenny's influential radio career in Wireless Kenny Everett.

Paul Gambaccini says: "Kenny Everett was the best of us. It was no surprise that the entire profession turned out for his funeral. All the radio stars of his time recognised his genius. 

"Kenny was a master of both preparation and spontaneity. He had both wit and technical skill. He loved both music and comedy. He was the only one of us who used the studio instead of just tolerating it. He was a wonderful one-off, a great presenter and a fine friend."

Comedy drama is also on the menu in the form of Radio 2 Comedy Showcase No Angel which features an all-star cast including Ricky Tomlinson, Martine McCutcheon and Clive Anderson. This character-led comedy is written by Andy Lynch whose previous credits include ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One's award-winning drama The Street.

The comedy centres on radio producer Katherine (Martine McCutcheon) who is convinced she is being stalked by scruffy scouser Leo (Ricky Tomlinson) and gets little sympathy from her self-obsessed chat show host colleague Scott (Clive Anderson).

For many, Christmas isn't Christmas without Morecambe And Wise, whose 1977 Christmas special gained a record 29 million television viewers. Eric And Ernie – Bring Me Christmas tells the story of their much-loved Christmas TV programmes.

Radio 2 regulars Alan Carr and Paul O'Grady will also be bringing their own unique humour to the airwaves during the season, with Alan hosting a live 'office' party on Christmas Eve.

Deana Martin will be sharing a unique insight into her father Dean Martin on the 15th anniversary of his death in Deana On Dino.

The 10th anniversary of the death of Kirsty MacColl will also be marked in a programme celebrating her life and work. Kirsty MacColl – A Celebration will be presented by Billy Bragg and features contributions from David Byrne, Johnny Marr and Holly Johnson.

Former ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Chairman Michael Grade's uncles were responsible for the legendary Sunday Night At The London Palladium variety shows and Michael will be revisiting his family's showbusiness roots as he charts the history of the nation's most iconic theatre in The London Palladium Story.

Speaking about the series Michael Grade said: "To play the Palladium for any act, top of the bill or opening Tiller girl, meant something. It meant you were considered the best and worthy of being given so many minutes on THE stage.

"The reason it earned this status was architectural as well as geographical. The Palladium is a masterpiece of theatre building, a magical edifice, the perfect arena."

Musician, entrepreneur and chef Levi Roots will make his first appearance as a radio DJ on New Year's Day as he hosts a two-hour special dedicated entirely to Lover's Rock. The show will include live sessions from Janet Kay and Carroll Thompson, as well as an interview with Denis Bovell.

Levi Roots said: "I can't wait to share my passion for reggae music with Radio 2's listeners."

Pop Princess Kylie Minogue will be answering listeners' questions in A Line Of Enquiry, hosted by Kate Thornton. In an interview where Kylie discusses career, family and her breast cancer battle, Kylie also jokes about how different she and sister Dannii are when it comes to Christmas shopping.

She says: "My sister is very organised with presents, very methodical about it. Whereas, the other Minogue, myself, I'm very haphazard. I kind of have a scrappy list and then I lose that list and get another list. I then race around like a mad woman a day or two before Christmas getting all those last-minute things!"

Two rock legends will be sharing their secrets – guitar great Eric Clapton is Jools Holland's subject in When Jools Holland Met Eric Clapton, which dissects Eric's music and songs, and At Home With Keith Richards will lift the lid on the rock god's loves and life.

For the first time, fans will be able to test their musical knowledge during the Radio 2 Christmas Quiz hosted by Chris Evans. Two teams of Radio 2 DJs including Simon Mayo, Patrick Kielty and Janice Long will join in the festive fun with quiz rounds including Beat The Intro, Who Said That, The Organist Entertains featuring Radio 2's very own maestro Nigel Ogden and of course Pick Of The Pops.

Music buffs can also experience three of ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ 6 Music's most popular programmes in 6 On 2 as Jarvis Cocker, Huey Morgan and Dave Pearce bring their eclectic shows to the Radio 2 airwaves.

Jarvis says: "6 into 2 does go! The week between Christmas and New Year has a strange unfocused kind of atmosphere, a bit like a Sunday afternoon. Funnily enough throughout 2010 I've been trying to capture that atmosphere on my 6 Music show, Jarvis Cocker's Sunday Service.

"It's my pleasure to now share some of the highlights from the past year's shows with the Radio 2 listeners at 8pm on 28 December. Strange music, an in-depth analysis of the first millisecond of Led Zeppelin's When The Levee Breaks, Michael Palin recalling his song writing days, tenuous links and dodgy opinions: hear all this and more as I turn Tuesday evening into a Sunday afternoon before your very eyes."

Friday Night Is Music Night will help get listeners into the Christmas spirit with a Bryn Terfel Classical Christmas Special live from the Mermaid Theatre.

On Christmas Eve, Barbara Windsor will host a Friday Night Is Music Night tribute evening to Lionel Bart, with star guests including Russ Abbott, Lee Mead, Bradley Walsh and Bernard Cribbins.

Barbara said: "I am delighted to be paying tribute to my great mate Li in this wonderful Radio 2 show. I know Li would have been thrilled."

Live music is also celebrated earlier in December. Double Brit award-winning Manic Street Preachers also perform for In Concert as they return to their roots, playing at the Blackwood Miners' Institute in Wales.

Younger listeners are also catered for with the annual return of Ed 'Stewpot' Stewart's Junior Choice on Christmas morning. Ed is looking forward to the show: "It's the quickest two hours of the year for me – and after the show, all I have to do is decide which motorway service station I will be eating my Christmas dinner at!"

On the spiritual side, The Great British Faith examines the faiths and beliefs that have shaped three of the UK's most diverse cities – Glasgow, Cardiff and Leicester.

The series studies how the different faith communities have shaped the cities' identities, as well as influencing our cultural identity as a whole.

The landmark series will involve a partnership with the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳'s local radio stations and ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Multiplatform, who will be appealing to listeners to share their stories to help complete this picture of faith in 21st century multicultural Britain.

Nine Alternative Lessons And Carols provides a complementary celebration to the traditional Bible readings and carols with nine modern stories of Christmas that have been specially commissioned from writers including Willy Russell, Ian McMillan and Simon Armitage.

Among the stories are an account of a rough sleeper's Christmas in a doorway and a narrative about a soldier's wife reading her beau's last letter home.

The tales will be read by recognisable voices including Bob Hoskins, Sean Bean, Zoe Wanamaker and Noddy Holder and each story is accompanied by a Christmas song.

The nine stand-alone stories will be broadcast one per day on the Ken Bruce and Jeremy Vine shows in the week before Christmas with an omnibus edition on Christmas Eve.

There will be a double dose of Aled Jones, who will be waking up listeners on Christmas Day and Boxing Day with seasonal specials of Good Morning Christmas and Good Morning Sunday.

In addition, Sunday Half Hour will be extended for the Sundays before and after Christmas, while Canon Roger Royle will join the nation in thanks on Christmas morning.

Bob Shennan, Controller Radio 2 and 6 Music, comments: "Radio 2 has a glittering array of stars on offer this Christmas and we're delighted such a variety of big names will be gracing our airwaves over the holiday. We hope our audience will enjoy over-indulging on this veritable feast of programmes.

"Our schedule features something for everyone with plenty of music, interviews, comedy and documentaries, as well as time for quiet reflection."

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