by Millie, age 9, asks who won UK Christmas Number 1, about Sheffield’s steel industry, and its nickname
Dear Santa,
Alright Santa, from Sheffield. My name is Millie and I am 9 years old. My whole family gathers around the radio every single Friday before Christmas to hear the big announcement, and this year my mum nearly dropped the gravy boat when the winner was revealed.
My first question is: who was the UK Christmas Number 1 this year?
My second question is geography: what is Sheffield famous for producing?
My third question is from school: why is Sheffield known as the Steel City?
I left you a Yorkshire pudding, small and savoury, alongside a mince pie.
Love, Millie, age 9, Sheffield, England
From the Desk of Father Christmas
Dear Millie, a Yorkshire pudding alongside a mince pie was a wonderfully unexpected pairing, thank you. Now, to that big radio announcement, and your other questions.
Who was the UK Christmas Number 1 this year?
For the 2025 Christmas chart, Kylie Minogue claimed the top spot with her song Xmas, ending a two year run at Number 1 for Wham’s Last Christmas. It was Kylie’s very first UK Christmas Number 1 in a long career full of hits, and it made her the first female solo artist to reach the top of the chart across four different decades. It certainly sounds like the sort of surprise that could make anyone drop a gravy boat.
What is Sheffield famous for producing?
Sheffield has long been famous for producing steel, particularly a special type called stainless steel, first developed there in the early 1900s. Cutlery, tools, and blades made in Sheffield earned a reputation for quality that spread around the entire world.
Why is Sheffield known as the Steel City?
Sheffield’s rivers once powered countless mills and forges, and the city built a booming industry around iron and steel production through the 1800s and 1900s. That deep industrial heritage still shapes the city’s identity today, even as Sheffield has grown into a centre for other industries as well.
Tell your mum the gravy boat survived, and I shall see you very soon.
Ho ho ho, Santa
