INTU Trafford Centre is set to star in its own Christmas-themed two-part TV documentary.

In a TV first, Channel 5 is going behind the scenes at one of the UK’s busiest shopping centres as it prepares for Christmas.

intu Trafford Centre: Countdown to Christmas will be broadcast on December 14 and 21 at 9pm.

The festive season is one of the busiest and most important times of the year for the team at intu Trafford Centre in Manchester, with millions of visitors expected.

Planning starts in the spring and with an investment of hundreds of thousands of pounds and 400 staff, the pressure is on.

With celebrity pop acts to secure, miles of Christmas lights and enough baubles to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool, the team work against the clock to make sure the countdown to the Christmas lights switch on happens without a hitch in front of a crowd of 10,000.

The two-part programme also delves behind the scenes as intu goes all out to make people more aware of its shopping centre brand with the creation of a national Christmas campaign and TV advertisement.

intu chief executive David Fischel said: “Over a million people will visit an intu shopping centre every day this Christmas to shop, socialise and have fun. The magical Christmas shopping experience you’ll see at intu Trafford Centre is something we create for our customers across the UK every year.”

The show has been created by Leeds-based Daisybeck Studios and narrated by Ted Robbins.

Executive Producer Paul Stead, said: “The show gives a unique insight into bringing Christmas to such an iconic shopping centre and is just the tonic to get everyone in the festive spirit.”