TV Overnights: ITV1’s bumper weekend line-up drives ratings

ITV1’s impressive weekend line-up certainly set the standard for the pre-Christmas ratings drive, with Sunday night’s X Factor attracting a high of more than 15.2 million viewers.

On Saturday, the channel’s first X Factor show peaked with over 13 million viewers, and secured a 46.8% average audience share between 8pm and 9.30pm.

The Elton John special was followed by a new documentary – Take That: Look Back, Don’t Stare – which gave an insight in to one of the biggest reunions in pop history.  The 90-minute programme peaked with 7.3 million viewers at 9.30pm but slipped down to an average audience of 8.4 million viewers and a 21.4% share.

ITV1’s winning streak continued in to Sunday night, with The X Factor results show pulling in over 15.2 million peak viewers and a 44.6% average audience share between 7.45pm and 9pm.

The show saw performances from former X Factor finalist JLS, Westlife and Take That before Aiden Grimshaw made a shock departure after receiving less public votes than his ‘bottom two’ rival Katie Waissel.

The new series of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! followed with very decent 11.4 million peak viewers.  The debut episode of the reality show, which saw The X Factor‘s Stacey Solomon, actor Nigel Havers and sprinting legend Linford Christie enter the Australian jungle, picked up more than 10.3 million average viewers and a 38% audience share for ITV1 between 9pm and 10.30pm.

Despite ITV1’s dominance during the prime time slots, BBC One did manage to get a look in this weekend.  On Saturday, BBC One banked the peak ratings from early morning until 7.30pm.  Strictly Come Dancing proved to be the channel’s gem, attracting a peak audience of more than 11.3 million viewers.

On Sunday, BBC One also secured the top spot for most of the day-time line-up.  The channel’s coverage of Remembrance Sunday picked up 4.2 million peak viewers, while a high of more than 7.1 million viewers tuned in to see The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Live during the afternoon.

Later on, the Strictly results show pulled in over 10.7 million peak viewers and a 30.5% average share between 7.30pm and 8pm.

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.