The X Factor kicks off with a high of 11m viewers

ITV1’s new X Factor series started on a high of 11.1 million peak viewers on Saturday evening.

The first-look at this year’s audition process, which sees the acts perform in front of a stadium full of X Factor fans as well as judges Simon Cowell, Cheryl Cole, Louis Walsh and Dannii Minogue under the new format, attracted almost 10 million average viewers and a 47.8% audience share between 7pm and 8.30pm.

ITV2’s repeat showing also pulled in a respectable 6.2% audience share on Sunday evening following Sky Sports 1’s Ashes coverage, which secured an impressive high of almost 2 million viewers as Australia lost the match by 197 runs.

Over 1.2 million average viewers tuned into Sky to see the final day of the fifth test, which saw England retain the Ashes after winning the series 2 – 1.

Five’s Cricket highlights from the Oval also picked up a significant 2.2 million peak viewers and a 9.6% average audience share between 7.15pm and 8pm last night.

Meanwhile, ITV1’s new Sunday night prime time drama lost out to BBC One’s last Rivers with Griff Rhys Jones, which attracted a high of 5.6 million viewers.

ITV1’s extended crime drama, Gunrush, starring Timothy Spall – who plays a driving instructor seeking revenge on the gang responsible for murdering his daughter – started on a high of 3.5 million viewers but slipped down to an average of 2.1 million in the final fifteen minutes.

On Saturday, ITV1’s The Cube, a new gameshow presented by Phillip Schofield, secured the highest ratings during half of the peak hour with more than 5.5 million average viewers.

However, BBC One’s new Michael McIntrye: Live & Laughing managed to steal the show from 9.30pm onwards with an equal 5.5 million viewers.

BBC One also banked the peak audience on Friday evening with Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi adventure film War of the Worlds, starring Tom Cruise, which started on a high of 3.5 million viewers.