Christmas number one: Little Mix, Jess Glynne and Ellie Goulding on Top Of The Pops special

Top Of The Pops will return to screens during the festive period with a star-studded show to announce the 2015 Christmas number one. Pop stars including Little Mix, Rita Ora and Jess Glynne are scheduled to perform during both the Christmas Day and New Year's specials.

The BBC's iconic music series will broadcast on Christmas Day while Radio 1 DJ Greg James will announce which artist is crowned the festive number one in a three-hour show between 10am and 1pm. Revealing his anticipation at revealing the Christmas chart-topper for the first time, James said in a statement: "It's the biggest chart of the year, and it's worth delaying my entire family's Christmas celebrations for! I love being the Official Chart host, and I'm so excited that I'll be announcing the Christmas number one live on Christmas day."

According to the Official Charts Company, the other singers confirmed to perform include Ellie Goulding, Sigma, James Bay and OMI. It is the first time the Christmas number one will be revealed on a Friday after the chart update was moved from its traditional Sunday slot in June 2015. The official contenders for the number one are yet to be revealed but early predictions include the X Factor winner's single, which is expected to be released on 13 December.

There is also a Facebook campaign to get the iconic Star Wars theme song to the top spot in celebration of the release of the latest installment, The Force Awakens, on 17 December. The OCC predicts Aurora's cover of Oasis' Half The World Away, which features in the John Lewis advert, could be a hot contender, while other pop stars releasing festive songs include Carly Rae Jepsen with Last Christmas and Scouting For Girls with Christmas In The Air (Tonight). Of course, Mariah Carey's classic All I Want For Christmas Is You usually climbs up the charts in December.

After the Christmas episode, the Top Of The Pops' second hour-long special will air on New Year's Eve.