TV Overnights: X Factor and Strictly boost weekend ratings

This weekend saw a ratings boost for both ITV1’s X Factor and BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing.

The X Factor reached a new high of more than 15 million viewers during last night’s results show, peaking in the last fifteen minutes when two contestants from Cheryl’s camp – Katie and Treyc – battled it out to keep their place in the competition.

After Cheryl refused to pick between “her girls”, the deciding vote went to the remaining three judges – Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh and Dannii Minogue.  Treyc was forced to pack her bags after receiving just one vote.

The full hour-long show, which also featured performances from Shane Ward and Kylie Minogue, attracted an average audience of almost 14 million viewers and a 46.4% share between 8pm and 9pm last night.

Saturday’s show, meanwhile, peaked with 12 million viewers at 8.30pm and pulled in an average audience of 11.3 million viewers between 7.45pm and 9.30pm.

BBC One’s popular Strictly Come Dancing also hit a new high of 11.4 million viewers this weekend.  More than 10.2 million average viewers tuned in to see the last 10 couples attempt latin or ballroom rountines to impress the judges between 6.15pm and 7.40pm, while Sunday’s results show picked up 10.2 million peak viewers.

As usual, ITV1’s X Factor audience stayed with them on both Saturday and Sunday evening.  The penultimate Piers Morgan’s Life Stories with Susan Boyle attracted a peak audience of 7.1 million viewers on Saturday night, while the final Downton Abbey secured over 10 million peak viewers on Sunday evening.

BBC One had more luck with its daytime schedule, banking the majority of the peak ratings with Match of the Day Live, Football Focus and its Brazilian Grand Prix coverage.

On Sunday afternoon, The Brazilian Grand Prix Live pulled in a peak audience of almost six million viewers for BBC One.

The channel also secured the top spot during Friday’s 9pm to 10pm peak-hour, with New Tricks winning an average audience of more than seven million viewers and a 29.6% 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.