Mariah Carey joins Graham on the sofa

We could all do with a bit of early Christmas cheer at the moment.

And who better to signal the start of the holiday season than the undisputed ‘Queen of Christmas’ Mariah Carey?

Every year, in the build-up to November, she teases her fans, reminding them that there is a point where it’s too early to begin playing her classic tune All I Want for Christmas Is You.

This year, the pop superstar eventually answered the annual call of her fans with a Halloween-themed video on November 1, in which a door to a haunted house was opened to reveal Mariah her in holiday PJs and surrounded by Christmas trees and fake snow.

Looking down at her watch, the star sang “it’s time”, while the unforgettable opening notes of her now-iconic Christmas classic chimed in the background.

Mariah joins Graham Norton tonight to talk about that tradition, as well as her love for Christmas and the success of that timeless holiday staple which finally ascended to the top of the US Billboard Hot 100 in 2019, 25 years after its original release.

It will also be interesting to see what she has to say about her ‘Queen of Christmas’ moniker, which she initially rejected a few years ago.

“I just don’t think I deserve it,” she said.

“I’m just a person who likes Christmas, okay? Who happened to write some songs.”

However, the main aim of Mariah’s chat with Graham is to plug her forthcoming eponymous Magical Christmas Special which will premiere on Apple TV+ this holiday season.

The innovative show will include music, dancing and animation, as well as a line-up of surprise guest appearances.

According to Apple, the event, directed by Bafta winner Hamish Hamilton and Oscar nominee Roman Coppola, will be driven by a universally heartwarming story that brings the world together to “enliven the Christmas spirit around the world”.

Also joining Graham tonight is TV chef and writer Nadiya Hussain.

The Great British Bake Off’s series six champion is also likely to be popular this Christmas as her new book Nadiya Bakes, which ties in with the series recently shown on the BBC Two, will be high on the bestseller list.

In the publication, Nadiya helps readers conquer cakes, biscuits, traybakes, tarts and pies, showstopping desserts, breads, savoury bakes, and even ‘no-bake’ bakes – all with her signature mouth-watering twists.

Graham’s third guest is British astronaut Tim Peake.

He talks about his autobiography Limitless, in which he aims to take readers closer than ever before to experience what life in space is really like.

Tim also shares his inspiring life story, from military duty in Northern Ireland and Afghanistan to the European Space Agency and the infinite cosmos.

If all that wasn’t enough, Take That singer-songwriter Gary Barlow also pops along for a brief natter with Graham before performing the single Incredible, from Music Played by Humans, his first solo album since 2013’s double platinum Since I Saw You Last.

Week after week, Graham seems to come up trumps when it comes to pulling in the A-listers.

And with tonight’s star-studded quartet plugging a festive TV special, cookery books and a new orchestral and big band album, viewers may think Christmas has indeed come early.

Especially once the Queen (of Christmas) has spoken.

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