How to avoid Euro 2012 on TV tonight

It wouldn’t be so bad if the sun was shining but with this weather, what else are you going to do but watch TV? Enter our guide to avoiding the football while still enjoying a cosy night in front of the telly…

France v England – avoid ITV1 5pm-7:30pm

The England game kicks off at 5pm but that’s getting on for tea time so if you’re not filling up on beer and peanuts like many football fans your mind will be turning to food. Try Come Dine with Me at 5pm on Channel 4, followed by River Cottage Veg from 5:45pm on More4. If your appetite for foodie viewing still hasn’t been sated, there’s more Come Dine straight afterwards, or if you’re feeling patriotic, despite loathing football, how about Great British Railway Journeys at 6:30pm on BBC2?

Ukraine v Sweden – avoid BBC1 7pm-10pm

Like sport but not footie? Channel 5 has Cricket - day five of the Third Test between England and West Indies from Edgbaston at 7-8pm. If sport’s not your bag at all, take a soothing Antiques Road Trip without leaving the comfort of your sofa at 7pm on BBC2, before drama in Coronation Street from 8pm.

There's more footie-free patriotism at 9pm on BBC2 with Britain for a Day, which invited members of the public to turn the cameras on themselves during a single 24-hour period last November and stitched the results together to create a portrait of a nation. Alternatively, one for the ladies (although, I must admit to being somewhat partial myself) is ITV2’s landmark 1,000th showing of Bridget Jones’s Diary, also at 9pm.

Euro 2012 highlights – avoid ITV1 10:35-11:35pm

You're safely past the live football, but beware - there’s still an hour of highlights to come! Bring back that earlier "best of British" theme with another chance to see the Eight out of Ten Cats Jubilee Special on Channel 4 from 10pm. And from there you’re on your own, but you should probably be getting to bed anyway – afer all, it is a school night.