happy christmas and welcome to breakfast with louise minchin. our headlines today: rescuers battle to prevent disease spreading in the wake of the tsunami in indonesia that's killed more than 400 people. after three days of disruption at gatwick airport, the government says drone detection systems can now be deployed throughout the uk. the actor kevin spacey is charged in america with sexual assault and releases a video addressing allegations made against him. as christmas celebrations get under way around the world, we'll speak some of the 1 million people here in the uk who are still at work. merry christmas. today we are starting off on a foggy know, especially in central and eastern areas. it will be largely cloudy, but some of us will see some sunshine. i will tell you work in 15 minutes. i will tell you work in 15 minutes.

it's christmas day, tuesday the 25th of december. our top story: aid agencies leading the relief efforts following the tsunami in indonesia, say they are concerned about the spread of infectious diseases. many of those forced to flee their homes have little access to clean water. in the last hour, it's been announced that a29 people are now known to have died. sameer hashmi spoke to us earlier from banten on the island ofjava. the rescue operations are still on. because of the bad weather at the national disaster agency has been finding it difficult to go from one location to another. they are sifting through the debris and trying to look for people because there are still so many people who are reported missing and they have not been able to find them. over 300 have died and over 1000 are injured. there are challenges that the agencies are facing here and i am

standing next to a relief centre where they are getting aid and they are now going to different villages that have been affected. a lot of people have been left homeless because they stayed on the coast. their homes are completely destroyed and now they are staying either in some of the camps that have been set up some of the camps that have been set up and the government is trying to give them relief. there are concerns about disease spreading. but the biggest concern for the government right now is to restart the tsunami warning system which failed to give any warning just before the tsunami hit this place. they have commissioned a new one and they hope that will be in place as soon as possible. that will be in place as soon as possible. britain's security forces now have the technology needed to help combat the threat of drones, according the security minister ben wallace. it follows three days of disruption last week at london's gatwick airport. monika plaha has this report. christmas was almost cancelled, with three days of chaos and thousands of flights grounded or diverted, but after the drone disruption at gatwick, ministers now

say they have the technology to curb the problem. taking to twitter on christmas eve, security minister ben wallace announced "we are now able to deploy detection systems throughout the uk to combat this threat." for the 140,000 passengers whose flights were cancelled or diverted, it's too late. police made two arrests over the incident, but elaine kirk and paul gait were eventually released without charge and cleared of any involvement. but they came home to find their names in some of the sunday papers along with their photos and details of their private lives. as you can probably imagine, we are feeling completely violated, our home has been searched and our privacy and identity completely exposed. 0ur names, photos, and other personal information have been broadcast throughout the world. we are deeply distressed,

as are our family and friends. and we are currently receiving medical care. their experience has raised concerns about the coverage. the airport has offered a £50,000 reward through crime stoppers to catch the culprits responsible responsible for the drama. monika plaha, bbc news. the actor kevin spacey has been charged with sexually assaulting a teenager in the united states. he's addressed the allegations by posting an unusual video online, in which he assumed his old character from the drama house of cards. here is an interesting tidbit that none of you may know... kevin spacey has been accused of unwanted sexual advances by more than 30 men, but these are the first allegations to get as far as court. i don't make this up... injuly 2016... he's accused of groping the teenage son of a television news reader in a bar. allegations that were first

made public in a press conference last year. to kevin spacey, i want to say this — shame on you for what you did to my son. shortly after the charge was announced, kevin spacey released a video in which he adopted the role of his character frank underwood from house of cards. he made no direct reference to the accusations, but he said enigmatically, "you wouldn't rush to judgement without the facts, would you?" kevin spacey is the winner of numerous acting awards, but his career has come to a standstill since the first allegation was made. at the time he apologised for inappropriate drunken behaviour. he's since made an absolute denial of all the other allegations. in the uk, police are investigating six accusations of sexual assault dating from spacey‘s time as artistic director at london's old vic. andy moore, bbc news. the first female bishop of london has presided

at a midnight communion service at st paul's cathedral. bishop sarah mullally has been speaking about poverty and homelessness, as our religion editor martin bashir reports. in a cathedral that has stood in the city for 11100 years, the first female bishop of london led its midnight service of holy communion. the significance of being the first female bishop of london doesn't pass me by, i hope that is encouragement to people. but what has always motivated me is my faith injesus christ and celebrating that at christmas. god coming amongst us in the messiness of this world as a vulnerable baby says something about god's love for us and also for the world. bishop sarah was installed on florence nightingale‘s birthday, a nod to herformer career as a nurse. and she wants the church to address more than just the spiritual needs of the nation. the church needs to speak confidently about faith

in god and jesus christ, but also it needs to reflect the compassion we see in god and jesus, which is why notjust across london but also the country churches are involved in social action projects. something like 33,000 social action projects across the church of england — people setting up food banks, credit unions, dementia cafes, night shelters, demonstrating the love of god. the christmas story of a baby born in a stable because there was no room at the inn seems particularly relevant given the record level of homelessness, according to the charity crisis. it also explains why the church is emphasising its ministry from the pulpit to the pavements of this country. martin bashir, bbc news, at st paul's cathedral. during midnight mass at the vatican, pope francis urged people in rich countries to seek a simpler, less materialistic life.

speaking at saint peter's basilica, he said people should consider whether they could manage without so many material objects. in the little town of bethlehem, hundreds of worshippers attended midnight mass close to the grotto wherejesus is believed to have been born. mass took place in saint catherine's, next to the church of the nativity. the catholic archbishop for the holy land told the congregation that he hoped people could live in peace. members of the royal family will attend church in sandringham this morning. let's talk to our reporter charlotte gallagher who's there. look at the queue already. good morning. good morning and merry christmas from sandringham. it will be about three hours until we catch a glimpse of the royalfamily, but there are plenty of people here. we think there are about 300 people and

there are people from nearby, norwich, and people who have come from a lot further away. mark, you have come all the way from australia. that is right, yes. why did you decide to come today? we are oi'i did you decide to come today? we are on holiday and we thought while we we re on holiday and we thought while we were here we thought we would drive north to see the royal family. i have got an enormous sense of admiration for the royal family and we thought we would come and see them this morning. is this your first time seeing them in the flesh? yes, it is. looking forward to seeing the queen. i have an enormous sense of admiration for her. she has carried out herjob for 66 years and she is a constant source of stability for the whole world. we live in difficult times and it is important to see someone who is that consta nt important to see someone who is that constant source of stability and consistency. and you have come all the way from toronto, amy. why did

you decide to come today? the way from toronto, amy. why did you decide to come today7m the way from toronto, amy. why did you decide to come today? it is such a privilege to see the queen and i ama a privilege to see the queen and i am a fan of meghan markle being from canada. and prince harry is so lovely, it is amazing. are you hoping that the duchess of sussex, meghan markle, might spot you?” hoping that the duchess of sussex, meghan markle, might spot you? i am hoping so, i am definitely going to wave. are you most excited to meet her? and also the queen, it will be amazing to see her. it is still very cold here, but the atmosphere in the queueis cold here, but the atmosphere in the queue is absolutely fantastic. lots of people have been coming for years and for others it is their first time here and they are very excited to see the royal family for the first time. it looks very frosty out there. thank you very much, charlotte. throughout the programme, we've heard from medical workers and volunteers who are at work today, and now we can speak to somebody else running a vital

service at christmas time — ferry captain alice duncan. good morning, very happy christmas. tell us about your working day today. what have you got to do? good morning and merry christmas. we are just starting the ferry, we started at eight o'clock this morning, said getting the engine is up and running an checking the departure lists. we are running two trips to the isle of wight so that islanders and people from the mainland can spend christmas with their family. what is the atmosphere like? it is great, this will be my fourth christmas that i will have worked. i always volunteer when i can because everybody is happy and festive. all the passengers are travelling to see theirfamilies, so the passengers are travelling to see their families, so they are all in a good mood. it is a nice atmosphere

on board. do you visit the passengers? are you able to do that because you have an importantjob to do? on the crossings we are busy navigating because at see it is a 365 day a year industry, so there is a lot of other traffic on the water. during the crossing i need to stay alert as to what is going on. but i do pop down to say hello to them and wish them a merry christmas. what about the ferry itself? is it decorated? i'm about the ferry itself? is it decorated ? i'm not about the ferry itself? is it decorated? i'm not sure if i can see any decorations. my chief officer matthew, he is just any decorations. my chief officer matthew, he isjust out any decorations. my chief officer matthew, he is just out of shot, he has got his christmas jumper and hat on. we have got christmas trees downstairs, but not much on the bridge. he just downstairs, but not much on the bridge. hejust popped in downstairs, but not much on the bridge. he just popped in to say hello. do you get to celebrate christmas today? yes, we finish at about three o'clock, so i will go and see my family then in time for

christmas lunch. was before somebody missed the ferry, what did you do? yes, that was a lovely story. a few yea rs yes, that was a lovely story. a few years ago a lady turned up just a few minutes too late for our last crossing to the island. we just got to the end of the pier and decided to the end of the pier and decided to go back and get her, which is something normally you would not be able to do because a lot of our passengers are commuters with connections to catch and busy schedules. it normally would not be an option but we went back to pick herup and an option but we went back to pick her up and that was met with a lot of cheers from the other passengers which was lovely. we will in no way encourage anybody to be late today because you need to have your christmas celebrations as well. it is lovely to speak to you. alice duncan, ferry captain, good luck with your crossing today. so many of you are working today. so many of you are working today. and joining us from a field in suffolk is shepherd kit bradley and hopefully some of her sheep?

good morning to you. i suppose the sheep cannot wait on christmas day, what have you been up to? as you can see it is a frosty start today. i have been breaking up some water troughs, taking the hay out and giving the girls behind me some brea kfast. giving the girls behind me some breakfast. do you give them a treat on christmas day? i give them some sheep muesli which has grains and molasses and they are obviously rather partial to it as you can see behind me. i understand your sun comes out with you on christmas day as well. yes, he comes out most of the time. he is with his dad at the moment, so happy christmas to my boy. he comes out and he likes coming out on a quad bike because he isa coming out on a quad bike because he is a boy. tell me about how you became a shepherd. not in the most conventional way, it was not through

a family. conventional way, it was not through afamily. i conventional way, it was not through a family. i had depression and ended up a family. i had depression and ended up volunteering at a national trust property in it worth and stayed with that for four and a half years and got the bug and fell in love with it, so here we are. as well as looking after the sheep, who looked very contented with their molasses mixture, do you have christmas traditions as well? with the sheep or myself? you might have them with the sheep, i don't know! today is quite a quiet day, at home, and nice meal with my other half and presence and a few drinks and pyjamas and a warm fire i think. thank you very much indeed. it is lovely to see other people working on christmas day. i kind of envy you being out and about, it does look old, though. it is absolutely beautiful, i am lucky to be out and not tucked up in

bed. have a good rest of your day. and you, happy christmas. carroll, it is really frosty out there. yes, the huge disparity in the temperatures this morning. merry christmas to you if you are just getting up. it is a cloudy start to the day for most of the uk. we have got some dense fog in the midlands and eastern england and some of it will not lift today. but there is sunshine in the forecast as high pressure continues to dominate our weather. this coming in from the west will continue to drift eastwards. we are starting on a mostly cloudy note. there are brighter breaks across parts of east anglia and the south—east and when this rain goes through scotland we will see breaks in the north—east. also in north—east england and wales

where they do not have the fog. but for most of us it is dry, so a pleasa nt for most of us it is dry, so a pleasant enough they were a nice long walk after a big christmas lunch. temperatures between 9—12. as evening and overnight we hang onto a lot of cloud, but it remains broken in eastern scotland and temperatures could fall with a touch of frost. rain comes into the north west. patchy mist and fog around, but most of the fog will be on the hills. that leaves us into boxing day. cloudy and dull for many. it will be milder than today and because most of the fog is hill fog, we should not have so many problems with it. tomorrow we still have a band of rain across north and west scotland. it will break in the south—east. here and there we will also see brighter breaks as well. milder for

all of us. temperatures in double figures. by the time we move from wednesday into thursday we still have this front across the north of the country, introducing thicker cloud and spots of rain. not much in the way of isobars, so things are fairly static. quite a bit of cloud, but we should see some breaks coming through. you can see where they developed during the course of the day. temperatures down attached in the south, nine or ten is the highest. further north we are looking at ten or 11. as for friday and saturday, friday is mostly dry, but we will see some rain come in overnight on friday, leaving saturday mostly dry and quite mild. mild with this stage in december. more on our top story this morning — the number of people who died in saturday's tsunami in indonesia continues to rise. at least 373 people lost

their lives, and 128 are missing. earlier we spoke to kathy mueller from the red cross, who's in the indonesian city of palu, where a tsunami struck three months ago. well, it's not a christmas to celebrate here in west java, indonesia. as you can imagine, people are mourning their loved ones today, the people who have been lost to this tsunami. it's a miserable environment right now, it's raining in westjava, the area that is impacted by this disaster. we are talking to people on the ground and they have fled into other villages or up into the hills. some are sleeping in mosques, some are sleeping in stores, some are sleeping outside in the elements. they say it's cold at night, they need blankets. this is something the indonesian red cross is doing, is bringing in things like blankets and tarpaulins to help protect people from the weather. i also understand that you've been able to reach a community that had been completely cut off as well

by the tsunami? yes, they had been cut off for a couple of days so the volunteers with the indonesian red cross went in. they have reached them, they brought in basic supplies and things like the blankets and tarpaulins, as well as clean water. a lot of infrastructure can be damaged after a tsunami or a large disaster and then as well, we had trained volunteers who were able to provide first aid and some basic health care in case anybody was injured. of course, you mention health care, disease is something that could happen now, how are you preparing for that? disease is always at risk of increasing after there is a disaster, especially now as it is the rainy season. there is malaria in the area, there's also dengue. so those are the vector—borne diseases which are transmitted by mosquitoes, so trying to protect people as best as possible. teaching them what they can do to protect themselves. there's also the waterborne diseases

with the infrastructure crumbled in places, the risk of cholera for example, could increase. so it's basically about raising awareness, making sure people have access to clean water and that goes a long way to keeping people healthy. while we may all sometimes feel alone, chronic loneliness can be difficult to escape, especially at this time of the year. mike niles is a man on a mission, tackling the issue in his home town of doncaster. alison freeman has been to meet him. it was loneliness that inspired mike to set up this club, but notjust the loneliness of the older people he is helping. living in a city like london, where it's so fast—paced and there's always something going on, even though you've got mates around you, it can be quite isolating, and i did feel quite isolated at the time. aged 31, he gave up a busyjob in london and moved back in with his parents in doncaster

so he could set up the charity b:friend, which links older people with a younger buddy. he had the idea after volunteering for a similar charity in london, where he made friends with a woman in her 70s. it allowed me to have, like, a connection to the community, she was a rock that was always there. and she was able to provide me so much, like, reassurance, and wisdom and guidance. it's a really mutually beneficial thing. while obviously the person who is isolated is getting company and companionship, and being valued by someone, the friend is often getting something of value, as well. two years on, mike employs five staff, and has created almost 120 friendships. how are you? i've been watching all the children telling father christmas how good they've been on telly. like 27—year—old harley, and jean, who is about to turn 90. i'm just so happy that i've been able to have such an impact on her life,

and take her shopping, and do the things that she would not be able to do without me here. she cheers me up no end. at first i didn't think i would want it, but i wouldn't want to stop now. i don't see it as volunteering now. i definitely don't see it as coming in every week, one hour. i always stay longer than an hour. mike's charity has had some good news. b:friend is to get a slice of £11.5 million the government is using to tackle loneliness. so we've decided to invest £100,000 in b:friend, because it is a fantastic one—to—one befriending service, which can be scaled up. and that's part of the package of £11.5 million which we're putting out across england to make changes in loneliness and isolation. this additional funding from the government really allows us to take this model that we have built and reach more people. # we wish you a merry christmas and happy new year... this week, mike put on christmas parties for more than 200 older men

and women who attend his groups, and today he is hosting a christmas lunch for more than a0 older people who might have otherwise spent the day alone. what an amazing idea, and guess what? what an amazing idea, and guess what? mike niles, founder of b:friend, is with me now. you have done incredible work, and not only are you here, you will be cooking for a0. not only are you here, you will be cooking for 40. yes, straight back to doncaster, a full christmas meal and all the trimmings and a big party. and most of it is done? most of it is done, but the volunteers are working as we speak. this was all because of your loneliness in some way. yes, i lived in london and it was very fast—paced and i had

lots of mates, but somehow i was disconnected. i visited a lady in london and we had an amazing friendship and i realised how much ofa friendship and i realised how much of a value that was to me. when i moved back to doncaster i wanted to do something similar. everybody seems to get as much out of it, both the older and the younger generation. tell me about the impact. once a week, popping in for a cup of tea and a chat and it is something we all need, to feel loved and valued. especially at this time of the year, to feel that somebody ca res. of the year, to feel that somebody cares. it is just as beneficial to the volunteer as it is to the elderly neighbour. it is a difficult day for people who are perhaps alone and you do not have to be alone to feel lonely. what is your advice to them? we are so lucky, we have incredible volunteers who make this happen and we have projects across the country and we are one of them.

there are charities and community groups doing christmas day lunches in all areas today. look and see what is happening in your area, it is not too late and pop down and spend the day with people. is not too late and pop down and spend the day with peoplem is not too late and pop down and spend the day with people. it is not just the young person and the older person, but you are spreading it into the community as well because you are having a party? we have got 20 volunteers and they are saying, i wa nt to 20 volunteers and they are saying, i want to bring my children along and have this day as a community. that is what we are passionate about, that community connection. it is bringing the community together and this is a perfect example. we all seem this is a perfect example. we all seem to be concentrated on technology, is this a way of bringing people back together? technology undoubtedly will help and you can skype your family and have faced time, but you cannot replace one—to—one conversations. and also

interactions face—to—face. this is definitely a way where the community can come together and it is a good way of meeting new people and making new friends. it is important. and you have got new funding, so this will get bigger. it is fantastic, we are so excited, because we can take the model we have created in doncaster and expand it and reach as many people as we can and get more volu nteers many people as we can and get more volunteers involved and build what is hopefully going so well now. we have been talking to people who have been working at christmas. do you mind working at christmas? this is your passion. it is quite a lot of people and when you see everybody they're having fun and singing it is totally worth it. none of this project would be possible without volunteers, members of the community giving their time and making this happen. tell us about the impact on your life. you started it when you

are feeling lonely yourself. how has it changed things for you?m are feeling lonely yourself. how has it changed things for you? it has been tough at times, it is a hard job, but i would not be able to do it without volunteers and my friends and family and my parents who have put up with me. it has completely taken over, but it is the bestjob i have ever had, just the reward you get from it. seeing people's faces is worth it. you are busy and the turkey is cooked. yes. yes. what have you got to do? roast potatoes in the parsnips. it will be fine. it will be fine. coming up in a few minutes, we'll take you behind the scenes of the strictly christmas special coming up tonight on bbc one. stay with us, headlines coming up. hello, this is breakfast with louise minchin, coming up before 9:00, we'll get the weather with carol. but first, a summary of this morning's main news.

aid agencies leading the relief efforts following the tsunami in indonesia, say they are concerned about the spread of infectious diseases. many of those forced to flee their homes have little access to clean water. in the last few mintutes, it's been announced that a29 people are now known to have died. sameer hashmi sent this report from banten on the island ofjava. it has been two days since the tsunami hit this part of indonesia and right now i'm standing at the beach resort that was hit on the night of the tsunami. the owner tells me there were about 30 guests who were staying in this property and at around 9:30pm on saturday night we saw this huge wave of waterjust come and power through the property. they didn't expect that. they were completely taken by surprise. and all the guests who were staying on this property were injured. and they were rescued by the locals and taken to the hospital. some of them, in fact, were severely injured.

this place was booked out for christmas, but now, as you see, it wears a completely deserted look. and that's the story of this region. it's a popular beach destination. thousands of indonesians come down, especially during this time of year, to spend their holidays and spend christmas here, but now this area is completely empty. in fact, the residents have moved inside, away from the coast, because there's still a tsunami warning in place until wednesday. there's no guarantee or surety whether the tsunami will take place this time or not. but the government is saying they do not want to take any chances at this time. the rescue operations are also still on. the national disaster team is going from one property to another, sifting through the debris to look for those who are still missing, but because of the bad weather the rescue operations have been hampered. britain's security forces now have the technology needed to help combat the threat of drones, according the security minister ben wallace. it follows three days of disruption last week at london's gatwick airport. a couple who were arrested

during the investigation have spoken after being released without charge, and say they feel "completely violated". the actor kevin spacey has been charged with sexually assaulting a teenager in the united states. he's addressed the allegations by posting an unusual video online, in which he assumed his old character from the drama house of cards. mr spacey said he wouldn't pay the price for things he didn't do. 13 migrants have been picked up from a boat, two miles from walmer off the coast of kent. an rnli rescue was launched just after 3:00am this morning. the coastguard helicopter was also sent to the area. seismologists in italy have recorded more than 130 earthquakes around the sicilian volcano, mount etna. europe's most active volcano erupted yesterday. volcanic ash has covered surrounding villages, forcing regional airports to close.

the first female bishop of london has presided at a midnight communion service at st paul's cathedral. bishop sarah mullally has been speaking about poverty and homelessness, a theme which was also addressed by the the leader of the catholic church in england and wales. during midnight mass at the vatican, pope francis urged people in rich countries to seek a simpler, less materialistic life. speaking at saint peter's basilica, he said people should consider whether they could manage without so many material objects. members of the royal family will attend church in sandringham this morning. as is traditional, lots of people have turned up to see them. let's talk to our reporter charlotte gallagher who's there.

there are lots of people here, and it is very cold this morning. how old are you? seven. what time did you get up this morning to come and see the royal family? you get up this morning to come and see the royalfamily? at you get up this morning to come and see the royal family? at three o'clock. who is your favourite? meghan. she is very nice, she is very smiley. your big sister, who is your favourite? meghan. why do you like her so much? she is always very pretty and wearing nice clothes. have you done anything for christmas apart from coming here this morning? no. what will you be doing when you

go home? we will open our presence and have christmas dinner. daddy is at home cooking isn't he. are you excited? yes. who are you looking forward to see? i am looking forward to see the queen because she has her crown and she has lovelyjewels on it and she is always wearing pretty dresses. if the queen comes up to you, what would you say to her? i'm going to say hello, you are amazing. i think she will like that a lot. lots more people here arriving, lots of young, royal fans and a lot of them are very excited to meet the duchess of sussex, her first christmas as an official member of the royal family. charlotte,

christmas as an official member of the royalfamily. charlotte, that has made my day, those three children. as unhappy christmas to everyone. it seems like everyone, and everything, is getting into the festive spirit. this santa hat appeared on the angel of the north on christmas eve. and it gave plenty of passers—by the opportunity to stop for a photo. a group of pranksters has admitted responsibility, saying they had planned for the stunt for years. those are the main stories this morning. carol will be able to tell you about the christmas day weather shortly. shall we talk about strictly? while stacey dooley took away the strictly glitterball trophy this year, it'll be former contestants who'll be back on the dance floor later today, for the show‘s christmas special. breakfast‘s tim muffett went along to rehearsals, to see if they could still tell their samba from their american smooth. what's it like to be back?

frightening. everyone's watching you. yeah, nervous. so tell us about your routine — you're peter pan? yes, i'm peter pan, the boy that never grew up. that's about me. i'm flying in. and i've got a dog, going to be part of my dance — he'll probably dance better than i do. that's gatsby. do you like strictly come dancing? barks. there's a bed involved, did you realise that? yes, i always knew there was going to be, but didn't realise it was going to be so big. nervous? well, yeah. somehow i've got to get nadiya onto the bed to do a swivel, and swivel off the bed with her, and away we go with a viennese waltz. you're loving the warm—ups, the kind of breaststroke thing. talk us through that. we're flying! we're flying, yeah. we're dancing in the air.

semi—finalist 2015. yeah. and when you walk back into this space, how do you feel? at first, the first moment i was really nervous, but then it just feels like coming home, a little bit. it's so familiar when you've danced week in, week out, week in, week out. that floor and i have got history. there's a lot of anxiety of mine on that floor, and the anxiety came back to greet me. this is anton's underskirt. so this is anton's dress? yeah, that's anton's. that's anton's dress, yeah. no, that's anton's. is this breaking news for you? when do you put on the outfit you're going to be dancing in? this is a normal monday for me. it's very good. yeah, i like it. ann and anton — one of the classic strictly pairings, ever. ever. yeah, we agree. some of your routines in 2010, they blew people's minds. that was because i couldn't dance.

in the very first two hours of the very first morning's training, anton said to me, i think the less time you spend with your feet on the floor, the better. 0h... what kind of look are we going for here, luca? so today, we're going for pinocchio. well, a girl pinocchio, with hair done. yes. earlier, we saw your stunt down the chimney. so is this going to affect your hair, potentially? i didn't think about that. do you know what? it'll make it easier, because i don't like it when my hair's in my face. today is very special, it's christmas day, so everyone is having a nice, magic day. not competitive. not competitive, really? define competitiveness, and everything.

not competitive, but we want to win. strictly come dancing christmas special, is on bbc one, tonight at 5:30. to celebrate the 12 days of christmas, maths teacher and author bobby seagull has come up with a dozen puzzles for breakfast. we'll be posting a puzzle a day on our facebook page, and it starts today. so here it is, puzzle number one. you put up the words ‘partridge in a pear tree' on a banner, with one aa card for each letter. the word ‘tree' drops on the floor. without looking, what is the probability of picking up the letters in the word ‘tree' in the correct order? breakfast facebook page and see if you got it right.

within about a minute when i first mentioned it, people were getting it right. very impressive. it is very frosty this morning, but no snow? no snow on the horizon for the next few days but we do have fog. the temperature fell to —8.a and that is the lowest the temperature has ever been between christmas eve and christmas day. we have a weather front moving from the west to these taking patchy, light rain and drizzle with it. we have fog across eastern parts of england and the midlands. a lot of it will lift but some of it won't and where it remained stubborn to clear it will have an adverse impact on the temperature. cloudy for many has

rain moves into the north—east but brighter breaks in north—east scotland, parts of north—east england, east anglia and the south east. temperatures between nine and 12 degrees. as we head through the evening and overnight we hang onto a lot of cloud. there will be patchy mist and fog forming, most of the fog this time will be on the hills. by fog this time will be on the hills. by the end of the night you can see a weather front coming into the northwest, introducing rain. temperatures roughly six to nine, but where the sky remains clear across the north—east of scotland, it could be cold enough for a touch of frost. that leads us into boxing day and tomorrow it will be cloudy and dull, as it will be over the next couple of days, but milder than today but most of the fog will be in the hills. we do have a weather from producing outbreaks of rain at times across the north and the west of scotland. for the rest of the uk we start on a cloudy note, brighter

brea ks start on a cloudy note, brighter breaks developing across southern counties of england. here we are looking at highs of ten to 12 degrees. across the board it will be a milder day than it was yesterday or indeed is going to be today. we still have a weather front from wednesday during the course of thursday wiggling around in the north and the west of scotland, introducing patchy, light rain at times. on thursday, hardly a nicer bat on the charts so hardly a breeze to shift things along. thursday sta rts to shift things along. thursday starts cloudy with patchy rain across the north and the worse. we also see brighter breaks developing. more widely on thursday done on boxing day. you can see temperatures down a degree or so. then as we head through friday and into saturday, still a lot of settled weather, a lot of dry weather for that matter. 0vernight, from friday into saturday we will have rain clearing away and

on saturday again, largely dry and brighter spells. mild for the time of year, ten or 11. carol, before we go, what is your favourite christmas food? chocolate. that is any time of the year, not just christmas. thank you for keeping us company, we will see you soon. no matter what santa has brought you this christmas, it's probably not quite as special as what our next guest has delivered, many times. we're joined now by catrina walker, a midwife at north manchester general hospital. hello, it is lovely to see you. hgppy hello, it is lovely to see you. happy christmas. happy christmas. have you had a christmas baby in the hospital? yes, a few babies born today. i have not delivered any today. i have not delivered any today but we have had three born since midnight so it is nice. so

exciting, what did the parents make of having a christmas day baby? bate are so happy, it is the most special christmas present you can get. i am sure they are all delighted. what is your working day, just like any other day for a midwife? yes, just like any other day, we come in and week are assigned a patient and we get to look after them all day and get to look after them all day and get to look after them all day and get to meet the lovely baby. it is special because it is christmas. such a special day. are you allowed to have your own christmas celebrations during the day? yes, everybody is in a good mood, feeling festive. we will be having a mini christmas party, everybody has brought in goodies. somebody has brought in goodies. somebody has brought in goodies. somebody has brought in a really nice cake, so it will be good. do they traditionally give them christmas baby names as well? i don't think so. i guess some

people maybe get holly or whatever but i don't think we have had any christmassy names yet. that is lovely, what about your own celebrations, you are working, but will you get a chance to be with yourfamily? will you get a chance to be with your family? i am working all day today but i am celebrating christmas tomorrow with some family and going tomorrow with some family and going to scotland for new year to celebrate with my family and friends therefore new year. absolutely lovely. is there a lot of pressure on the mums to make sure the baby is born on christmas day rather than on either side? i don't think so. babies don't know it's christmas, they come when they want to. whatever day it comes, it is special so it doesn't matter. i am married toa so it doesn't matter. i am married to a christmas day baby. thank you

very much indeed. it is lovely to speak to people like you who are doing an incredible job speak to people like you who are doing an incrediblejob on speak to people like you who are doing an incredible job on christmas day. thank you so much. lovely to speak to you, happy christmas. happy birthday to all of you christmas day babies as well. during all the festivities, it's easy to overlook that christmas is a christian holy day that marks the birth of jesus. we'rejoined again by reverend sally hitchiner to discuss the meaning of christmas, as well as ben and ellie to tell us about life with their newborn son, billy. look at you lovely proud parents. so cute. does he feel like you're christmas present? he does, he is only 11 days old. he was due on the 30th of november so he wasn't supposed to be a christmas present. how are you doing? still adjusting. it doesn't feel like christmas, it

feels like every other day since he has been born. he doesn't know it's christmas. absolutely not, he was up in the night at 2am and 5am ready for a feed. sally, lovely to see you here, christmas day is a lovely day but also having a birth like this are christmas, it is special? they look like mary and joseph, a little bit. i think there is something about babies that is meaningful to all of us. a very spiritual experience, giving birth. for christians, it is this big celebration that god isn't a distant, authority figure but born asa distant, authority figure but born as a little baby in our family. i don't how you felt the first time you held billy? it was terrifying but this massive sense of hope. i was worried he was being brought into this broken world going through a turbulent time at the minute, but

when he was born, i felt like he had the potential to change that. he's not difficult it all on his own but he will be able to make a positive impact when he's older. that gave me a sense of hope when was born. for christians, there is the sense of hope that god is born among others and is with us, part of our family. little babies, they don't fix your life when you hold them... they change it. they absolutely change it. they don't say things that fixes things go and tidy up but you get a sense of peace and love coming from this tiny little thing and that is the experience christians have of god, coming to us as a little baby and that is why christians celebrate today. you see that in this beautiful little baby and this

lovely couple. what better way to celebrate christmas than to have a lovely baby here. on a much more trivial note, have you thought about in the future, will he have definitely birthday and christmas? we need to think about when the christmas decorations go up. i think they will go up after the 14th of december. that is his birthday? if we bring him up to look christmas as much as we do, he should be happy to have a birthday to run christmas. christmas can be a difficult time for lots of different reasons. we have talked about loneliness on the programme and people are watching us and invite us into their homes are difficult times, what is your advice if they are feeling lonely? have a moment for something religious or spiritual. it is not about having a perfect family christmas, it is about engaging with the meaning of the season. if you are not in a

sta ble the season. if you are not in a stable in a manger, you are one up from mary and joseph and maybe say a prayer, light a candle if you can. do something that invites god into your life today. that is the heart of christmas, it's not tinsel, as wonderful as tinsel, turkey and present are, god is with you and your not alone. if that isn't for everyone, go and find company? go for a walk, clubs are open, people are so for a walk, clubs are open, people are so friendly today. i have said merry christmas to about a million different people today. if you cannot get out, go online. maybe tune into the radio and the television. wonderful things are happening, radio a there is a great christmas service and television throughout the day. pick up the phone, phone a friend. there are some great charities up there if you on the internet for these charities,

you can receive a phone call there are people waiting to do that. let's talk about loss, christmas can make loss feel particularly difficult?m touches every family, we have all lost someone we love and families that are broken. take the pressure off, mary and joseph were not a perfect family. it is ok to have a big christmas row, it is almost expected. the specialness isn't lost by that than you can have some meaningful moments in that time. distract yourself, go for a walk, play a jigsaw puzzle. do not play monopoly! i am sorry to my nephew, it is his favourite game but do not play monopoly today. get out there and engage with the meaning, receive it as and engage with the meaning, receive itasa and engage with the meaning, receive it as a gift. merry christmas to you, but you look like the perfect couple. thank you very much indeed,

happy christmas. thank you to all of you who have sent in your messages as well who have been watching us this morning. also every day here on brea kfast, this morning. also every day here on breakfast, we appreciate your messages. that is it from me and the bbc breakfast team. we wish you a very happy christmas. here is a special recording we made last week when the band of the welsh guards joined us outside the studios. have a lovely day. quick march... music: 12 days of christmas

music: jingle bells this is bbc news, the headlines... rescuers in indonesia say they're worried about disease spreading following the tsunami on saturday which has killed more than a20 people. 150 remain missing. actor kevin spacey is charged with sexual assault in america and releases a video addressing allegations made against him. after three days of disruption at gatwick airport, the government says drone detection systems can now be deployed throughout the uk. religious ceremonies get under way around the world to celebrate christmas day.

members of the royal family will attend their traditional church service in sandringham this morning. charlotte gallagher is there.