The holiday season is typically a time for peace, joy, and unity. Not on reality television! The genre has played host to some of the best competition series ever. When it comes to Christmas, reality television has filled up our stockings with some of the most fabulous shows.
Whether it's finding a Christmas date, a holiday helper, or the best delicious dessert, these Christmas treats are perfect for everyone in the family. Put on your favorite ugly sweater, light the fire, and be ready to hear those sleigh bells ring as you binge-watch ten of the best Christmas-themed reality shows of all time.
10 'Top Elf' (2019-2020)
Hosted by Tommy Snider & Samantha Turret
Image via Paramount+
Not all reality shows are just for adults! Such is the case for Nickelodeon's holiday competition show, Top Elf. In this fun Christmas competition, Santa (Tommy Snider) and Ms. Jingles (Samantha Turret) welcomes a group of "Elf-testants" to the North Pole so they can test their skills in a series of holiday-themed challenges. The goal is for these kid creators to demonstrate the true spirit of Christmas so they can get their wish list granted.
In the spirit of giving, their wish list isn't for themselves but for their community for a $25,000 charity prize. How sweet! The series ran for two seasons with a plethora of guest judges along the way, including Frankie Grande, Peyton List, Addison Rae, Tori Kelly, and JoJo Siwa.
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9 'Blown Away: Christmas' (2021)
Hosted by Bobby Berk & Katherine Gray
Image via Netflix
In the hit Netflix series Blown Away, acclaimed glassmakers are tested on their artisan skills through the craft of glassblowing. In 2021, the series welcomed back five former artists to re-test their skills as they turn up the heat in this festive competition. The five fan favorites are back for redemption in the hot shop as they are tested through Christmas-themed challenges.
The winner of Blown Away: Christmas, a special four-episode season, wins $10,000 for themselves, as well as $10,000 for the charity of their choice. For this special season, chief judge Katherine Gray is joined by Queer Eye's Bobby Berk. Spoiler alert! The winner of this Christmas season was Season 2 runner-up Cat Burns.
8 'Santas in the Barn' (2015-)
Hosted by Jon Gabrus
Image via truTV
Ever wonder who the best Santa in the land is? Santas in the Barn is the series for you! In this Tru TV series, a holiday fantasy camp comes to life as a group of Santas compete for a prize of $100,000 and the title of America's Best Santa.
The comedy competition watches as America's favorite jolly character competes in hilarious slapstick challenges that are designed to test their dedication to living in the most "Santa" way. The series is meant to bring holly jolly joy, so get your ho ho on as you watch Santas in the Barn. This is certainly a kid-approved series!
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7 'Holiday Baking Championship' (2014-)
Hosted by Bobby Deen (Season 1-3) & Jesse Palmer (Season 4-)
Image via Food Network
Leave it to Food Network to create a holiday food competition to become a yearly staple. Holiday Baking Championship watches as some of the best bakers are tested in holiday-themed baking challenges as they hope to become the season's champion. Originally hosted by Bobby Deen, now led by Jesse Palmer, Holiday Baking Championship boasts a legendary panel of culinary experts, including Nancy Fuller, Duff Goldman, and Carla Hall, who replaced Lorraine Pascale in Season 7.
In each episode, bakers compete in two rounds. First is the Preliminary Heat, where they must create a small holiday-themed pastry. The winner of the pre-heat will receive an advantage in the Main Heat. This round, bakers must concoct a larger confection where a curveball will be thrown their way mid-challenge. The winner automatically moves on as the worst baker is eliminated. The success of Holiday Baking Championship has spawned an abundance of spin-off series, including Halloween Baking Championship and Kids Baking Championship.
6 '12 Dates of Christmas' (2020-2021)
Created by Pip Wells
Image via Max
Everyone hopes to have a special someone during the holiday season. And if you don't? Well, join a reality series to find one! In Max's 12 Dates of Christmas, three hopelessly romantic singles are determined to meet their "holiday someone" who they can bring home for the holidays. It's essentially a rom-com come to life!
All Chad Savage, Faith Fernandez, and Garrett Marcantel want for Christmas is true love. Don't we all? Set in a "magical castle" stuffed with "Christmas surprises," 12 Dates of Christmas is like a Hallmark movie, but real. The unique part of this series is that the three leads have their own set of potential dates. It is a celebration of both straight and LGBTQ+ romance.
5 'Christmas Wars' (2022-2023)
Created by Eric Smith
Image via A&E
Unlike many entries on this list, Christmas Wars is not a competition. In this A&E series, the most wonderful time of the year is put to the test as the worst in people is brought out. From Black Friday shopping massacres to full-out family brawls, Christmas Wars viewers are given a stocking full of shock.
In the two seasons of the series, Santa's naughty list includes a woman who pranks her husband with a porch full of deliveries, coworkers at a retail store coming to blows during a holiday party, and a parachuting Santa crash on a Florida beach. If you ever felt that your holidays were bad, Christmas Wars is destined to make you feel much better about that family fight at dinner!
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4 'Big Brother Reindeer Games' (2023-)
Hosted by Derek Xiao, Tiffany Mitchell, & Jordan Lloyd
Image via CBS
Listen, it's not perfect, but Big Brother Reindeer Games was the perfect holiday treat for Big Brother super fans. In 2023, Santa invited nine legendary Big Brother houseguests to compete in his magical holiday house. Over the course of six holiday-themed episodes, Santa's elves, played by other Big Brother alum, help the nine holiday houseguests win the $100,000 grand prize. Oh, and save the holidays!
The spin-off included winners such as Cody Calafiore, Josh Martinez, and Taylor Hale, alongside legends like Frankie Grande and Danielle Reyes. In the end, the holiday hero ended up being Nicole Franzel-Arroyo, earning her second victory in the Big Brother house. Big Brother fans clearly saw the silliness of it all, but the players certainly played hard. Even in six episodes, those alliances were alive and well!
3 'Finding Mr. Christmas' (2024-)
Hosted by Jonathan Bennett
Image via Hallmark
Hallmark Channel launched Hallmark+ with their first-ever reality competition series, Finding Mr. Christmas. Little did we know that they would produce one of the most unique series of 2024. To say it's quite fantastic is an understatement. Hosted by Jonathan Bennett, ten hunky men vie to become the lead in the next Hallmark Christmas movie.
The contestants are tested on their holiday spirit, acting chops, and ability to be a part of the Hallmark holiday family. Each episode features a Festive Face Off mini-challenge and a Star Quality acting challenge. If the leading men fail to win over the judges, comprised of Hallmark Channel fan favorites and lead judge Melissa Peterman, they will be eliminated. With the full series now available to stream, you can also see the winner in the film Happy Howlidays!
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2 'Holiday Wars' (2018-)
Hosted by Jonathan Bennett (Season 1), Raven-Symone (Season 2), Maneet Chauhan (Season 3) & Jeff Mauro (Season 4-)
Image via Food Network
Once again, leave it to Food Network to bring out the best of the holidays. In Holiday Wars, teams of cake makers and sugar artisans face off in Christmas-themed challenges as they battle it out to create some of the biggest and boldest displays. Currently hosted by Food Network's Jeff Mauro, Holiday Wars has brought out some of the most incredible and stressful moments in culinary competition.
The sweet confections that the teams create are sometimes even too good to eat! Unlike other holiday series on Food Network, this show is not one the average viewer will likely be able to recreate in their own festive kitchen! Now in its sixth season, Holiday Wars continues to be a fan favorite year after year.
1 'The Great Christmas Light Fight' (2013-)
Hosted by Taniya Nayak & Carter Oosterhouse
Image via ABC
We all love driving around the neighborhood to see the incredulous home displays each holiday season. But no one quite does it like the competitors on ABC's The Great Christmas Light Fight. Now an annual tradition, the series watches the competition between a series of families, friends, and groups that light up the neighborhood with elaborate Christmas light displays and breathtaking home decor.
Judged in a series of categories, the competitors must win over the judges through their usage of lights, their overall design, and their Christmas spirit. The winner of each episode will earn $50,000 and a holiday-themed trophy (and bragging right, of course). Led by Carter Oosterhouse and Taniya Nayak, the series has seen a plethora of winners, including RuPaul's Drag Race alum Bryan Watkins, aka Shannel.
