Brendan Cox: Jo Cox's widower to record alternative Christmas message

Brendan Cox's message will be broadcast on Christmas Day on Channel 4

The widower of murdered MP Jo Cox will deliver this year's alternative Christmas message on Channel 4.

Brendan Cox will call for an end to the "rise of hatred" in the broadcast on 25 December.

He will also pay tribute to his wife and discuss the "awful year for our family" in the pre-recorded message.

Cox will also tell viewers that now is the "moment to reach out to somebody that might disagree with us".

Mrs Cox was shot and stabbed to death by Thomas Mair in her Batley and Spen constituency in June.

She was an outspoken critic of strategic policy in Syria and a humanitarian who campaigned for women's rights.

Mr Cox's message was recorded on the converted Dutch barge where he lived with his wife.

In the tribute, he will be heard saying: "Jo loved Christmas - the games, the traditions, the coming together of friends and family, and above all the excitement of our kids.

"This year we'll try to remember how lucky we were to have Jo in our lives for so long - and not how unlucky we were to have her taken from us."

Earlier this week, Mr Cox clashed with Nigel Farage on Twitter after the former Ukip leader said that the Berlin lorry attack would be "[Angela] Merkel's legacy".

Mr Cox responded by saying "blaming politicians for the actions of extremists" was a "slippery slope".

Sharon Osbourne and Jamie Oliver have previously fronted the alternative Christmas message

Channel 4's message is traditionally billed as an alternative to the Queen's Christmas Day address, which is broadcast on BBC One and ITV simultaneously.

In previous years it has been delivered by Sharon Osbourne, Jamie Oliver, Sacha Baron Cohen and Lisa and Marge Simpson.

NSA whistle-blower Edward Snowden and the parents of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence have also delivered the message.