It's EastEnders v Downton Abbey in the battle for Christmas ratings

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The BBC has made a last-minute change to its schedules, moving their flagship soap to 9pm time, meaning it will go up against a two-hour special of the popular ITV period drama. David Jason's comedy The Royal Bodyguard has been pushed back to Boxing Day to accommodate the change.

A source said: "This year ITV bosses knew they had Downton up their sleeve as a secret weapon and they are pulling out all the stops with a two-hour show. The BBC have been chopping and changing right up until the deadline.

"And although David Jason used to be a ratings banker for them in Only Fools and Horses, he has been moved to Boxing Day to protect his show from clashing with the established brand of Downton.

"It looks like being the biggest ratings battle for decades."

ITV insiders are accusing their rival of "running scared" of Downton and making desperate changes to try and triumph in the annual battle.

The source told the Daily Mirror: "The BBC were running scared and changed their whole schedule just hours before the deadline."

Last Christmas, the BBC had eight of the top 10 rated shows over the festive period, with EastEnders drawing the most viewers at 11.8 million.