TV Overnights: The X Factor reaches all-time high of 15.4m viewers
ITV1’s latest X Factor series peaked with an all time high of more than 15.4 million viewers last night.
The second and most controversial of this weekend’s X Factor shows attracted an average of over 14.3 million and almost 50% of the audience share during the hour-long 8pm to 9pm slot.
This week’s results show, which featured performances from The Black Eyed Peas and former X Factor winner Leona Lewis, saw Lucie and Jedward in the sing-off after receiving the fewest public votes.
The two acts battled it out to keep their place in the talent contest but Welsh singer Lucie found herself going home after Simon Cowell decided to go to deadlock instead of voting himself – all of which happened in front of 15.4 million peak viewers in the final fifteen minute slot.
Saturday’s show, meanwhile, pulled in more than 12.6 million peak viewers and a equally impressive 46.9% average audience share between 8pm and 9.35pm. The first of the two shows featured film-related performances from the final contestants.
Elsewhere this weekend, ITV1 secured a peak run on Friday evening with Emmerdale, Coronation Street and Benidorm. The channel’s flagship soap Corrie peaked with 8.7 million viewers, while the last in the series of the comedy Benidorm picked up the highest ratings during the all-important 9pm to 10pm peak-hour.
On Saturday evening, BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing attracted a high of 9.5 million viewers but slipped down to 7.9 million once The X Factor started on ITV1. However, BBC One did managed to win the peak audience back after The X Factor finished.
The Festival of Remembrance banked the highest ratings from 9.15pm onwards despite competition from Piers Morgan’s Life Stories: Ronnie Corbett interview on ITV1, which pulled in 4 million average viewers compared to BBC One’s 5.3 million average viewers.
However, ITV1 had more luck on Sunday with All Star Family Fortunes, The X Factor and the final Doc Martin. The drama series, which stars Martin Clunes, finished on a high of 9.6 million viewers and a 34% average audience share during the 9pm to 10pm peak-hour last night.
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.