Father Christmas or Santa?
Scott asked whether British families had shifted from saying Father Christmas to Santa.
Listeners who had grown up in the 1980s and 1990s strongly remembered Father Christmas, while some believed Santa was more common in Scotland or had spread through American influence.
One Leicester business explained that its festive event was simply called Dog Santa after rejecting more elaborate names such as Santa Paws.
Dogs arrived in Christmas outfits, met Father Christmas and received presents.
The Birthday Game: Katie
Katie from Derby turned 32 and worked in a warehouse during its busiest period of the year.
She had already celebrated an early Christmas with family in Plymouth and was preparing for another on Christmas Day.
Katie wanted late-1990s or early-2000s music that was cheesy and fun.
Her first spin was Michael Jackson’s Earth Song, number one in 1995.
Katie kept it immediately because it was one of the first songs she remembered hearing as a child.
At her request, Scott persuaded the production team to play the full six-minute-and-45-second version.
Her unused alternatives were Benny Hill’s Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West) and the Pussycat Dolls’ Stickwitu.
Sam Ryder
Sam Ryder joined Scott to make the programme feel properly festive.
He discussed Christmas music and the way film soundtracks became inseparable from the season.
Scott placed songs from Christmas films inside a stocking and challenged Sam to perform whichever title he selected.
Christmas film songs
Sam’s first challenge was Walking in the Air from The Snowman.
Despite joking that his voice felt rough after a Christmas party, he immediately demonstrated the range required.
He then attempted Bing Crosby’s White Christmas in a much lower register.
The final envelope contained Darlene Love’s All Alone on Christmas from Home Alone 2, one of Sam’s favourite festive records.
Scott said the performances were enough to make even the least festive listener feel Christmassy.
Handover
Scott handed over after Sam’s Christmas-film challenge and Katie’s extended Earth Song.
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