Noddy Holder avoids Christmas dining out due to frequent plays of his festive song

BBC Birmingham reports that Noddy Holder, the Walsall-born frontman of Slade, tends to avoid dining out on Christmas Day because his iconic Christmas track Merry Xmas Everybody is a staple on festive playlists and often draws attention in public spaces. Holder’s wife, Suzan, revealed on BBC Radio WM that a restaurant scene with the song playing could cause a moment of awkwardness, as “every single person in the restaurant will turn and look.” The song, released in December 1973 by Slade, has endured as a seasonal staple, frequently reappearing on UK charts in the lead-up to Christmas. Suzan Holder shared anecdotes about her husband waking her on Christmas morning with his signature line, “It’s Christmas,” and described his festive rituals, including a notably simple, “rather mean Christmas dinner.” The article notes Holder’s long career with Slade—26 years at the helm—before stepping back in 1992, and mentions the band’s enduring status as one of the most successful British groups of the 1970s with hits like Cum On Feel The Noize and Coz I Luv You. After a cancer diagnosis in 2018, Holder recovered and resumed performing, including with a 10-piece boogie jazz band since his treatment. The piece ties Holder’s personal Christmas traditions to his broader legacy in British pop and Christmas music.