TV Overnights: TOWIE wins a BAFTA? Oh Shuttttt uupppppppp

BBC One’s coverage of the British Academy Television Awards won a peak audience of 5.6 million viewers last night.

The two-hour-long show, which was presented by Graham Norton, attracted 5.3 million average viewers and a 22% audience share from 8pm to 10pm.

Winners included ITV2’s ‘well ream’ The Only Way is Essex, Daniel Rigby (Eric and Ernie), Vicky McClure (This Is England ’86), BBC One’s Sherlock and Sir Trevor McDonald.

On ITV1, the last Vera (with Brenda Blethyn) started on a high of 5.2 million viewers but slipped down to an average audience of 4.9 million behind BBC One during the 8pm to 10pm slot.

BBC One dominated the ratings for the majority of day – The Andrew Marr show with an interview from Barack Obama pulled in over 2.2 million peak viewers; The Spanish Grand Prix Live raced away with 6.1 million peak viewers; the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2011 picked up 4.3 million viewers; and Countryfile secured 6.6 million viewers.

On Saturday, ITV1 stole some of the limelight – banking the top ratings with Britain’s Got Talent. The penultimate round of auditions attracted over 9.8 million peak viewers and a 38.8% average audience share between 8pm and 9pm.

In the 6.45pm to 8pm slot, the final Sing If You Can also peaked with 4.5 million viewers, while Piers Morgan’s Life Stories (with Des O’Connor) secured a high of 3.9 million viewers in the 9pm to 10pm slot.

However, once again BBC One led the daytime schedule. The Formula 1 Qualifying picked up almost three million peak viewers, Live Challenge Cup Rugby League achieved nearly two million peak viewers and Doctor Who attracted more than 5.9 million peak viewers.

Casualty also shared some of the prime time ratings, peaking with more than 4.8 million viewers, while BBC One’s Saturday night film Deja Vu achieved an average audience of 2.2 million viewers from 10.25pm onwards.

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.