TV Overnights: England v Ukraine peaks at 7m for ITV1
Despite the excitement of the England game later on, ITV1 attracted a higher average audience earlier on in the day with Emmerdale (7pm).
6 million viewers tuned in to see Chas Dingle try to act away her sadness as her family threw her a surprise engagement party, despite the fact she was engaged to a man who might as well have an expiry date stamped across his forehead.
Chas has made a fatal error in soap land – she has gotten involved with a man slightly less glamorous than herself…tragedy is no doubt hurtling toward them this very moment. An audience share of 32% watched as Chas managed, with a straight face, to deny Dan was anything more than a rebound.
Coverage of the England v Ukraine World Cup Group H qualifier began at 7:30pm on ITV1, with the game kicking off after half an hour of quality banter from Adrian Chiles. After Roy Hodgson’s team sailed to an easy victory last week in Moldova, last night the England team was faced with a rude awakening on home soil.
Ukraine’s Konoplienka scored towards the end of the first half before Frank Lampard equalised in the 86th minute, saving the English team one point. An average audience of 5.6 million viewers (a 24% share) watched the whole event, peaking at 7 million viewers as (a 30% share) Lampard scored.
1 million of those watching England’s second group game caught all the action, including Steven Gerrard’s dramatic reaction to his red card, on ITV1 HD.
Alternatively, for those preferring their talent significantly less paid and of slightly higher calibre (theatrically speaking) EastEnders was available on BBC One at 7:30pm. On the scale of tolerability, Kat Moon beats Adrian Chiles, but only just. Walford’s lady of the evening (or morning, or afternoon – she’s fairly flexible these days) woke up in another messy heap.
After love carried her off to the heights of the human experience, Kat forgot to go home to her husband; waking up in her grotty love nest was never going to be a good way to start the day. 7.2 million viewers watched as Kat came up with yet another ridiculous excuse.
There seemed to be a moment when electrodes sparked across Alfie’s neural pathways but alas, it was just a twitch. This week’s most oblivious man in Walford remains in the dark.
Over on BBC Two at 8pm was The Great British Bake Off and the judges threw the enduring bakers into the world of pastry and pies, which led to a shock turnaround for one certain contestant who looked certain for the chopping board. A consistent 4 million viewers (a 17% share) watched the pleasure rush across Mary Berry’s face as she tucked into the unexpected treat, confusing everyone’s survival odds in the process.
Hospital drama was on the menu for the rest of the evening as 4.5 million viewers (a 19% share) caught up with the latest goings on in the corridors of Holby City at 8pm on BBC One. Later at 9pm One Born Every Minute returned to Channel 4 for the first of a two part special.
The new mini-series looks at mothers expecting multiple births and featured the usual mixture of life affirming struggle and tragedy. The show brought Channel 4’s biggest audience of the day with 2 million viewers and a 9% audience share.
Overnight data is available each morning in mediatel.co.uk’s TV Database, with all BARB registered subscribers able to view reports for terrestrial networks and key multi-channel stations.