Bake Off’s semi sees viewers rise to 10m on BBC One
Thursday night brought a glut of viewers to BBC One, as the hugely successful sixth series of The Great British Bake Off (8pm) kicked off the beginning of the end with a deluge of tortuous chocolate-based tasks.
The second series to air on the BBC’s flagship channel, the competitive baking show has seen huge success in two years since it moved from BBC Two. Way back in September 2010, the very first semi-final managed to secure an audience of 2.7 million viewers, with the last semi-final to air on BBC Two seeing viewers increase to 5.6 million three years later.
Last year the first penultimate episode of The Great British Bake Off aired on BBC One and saw the audience explode as a result, with viewers rising to 8.8 million, translating to an astounding 57% year on year increase.
Last night an anxious Flora, Ian, Nadiya and Tamal attempted to master a chocolate tart, a chocolate soufflé and some chocolate centrepieces for good measure, with the genteel drama prompting 74,668 tweets during broadcast.
An average audience of 10 million viewers tuned in to see one competitor get taken down so close to the finish line, with the chocolate massacre seeing the second time this series the audience achieved the milestone figure.
Yesterday’s second-to-last stress test in the white tent of broken dreams secured a healthy 43% share, but it remains to be seen if next week’s finale can beat last year’s apex of 12.3 million viewers.
Also still striking a chord with viewers was psychological drama Doctor Foster (BBC One) which went out afterwards at 9pm. The paranoid head-fu** of a show focuses on a small town GP who realises she can’t trust anyone around her, leading to… well, one or two bad life decisions.
The unique drama kicked off three weeks ago with a solid 6.1 million viewers and not only has it managed to hang on to the original audience but, impressively, has also seen a small increase.
Last night’s penultimate slice of tense family time drama secured 6.2 million viewers and a 30% share, securing the 9pm slot for BBC One.
Things weren’t quite as exciting over on commercial broadcaster ITV as Phillip Schofield just couldn’t stay away from the nation’s screens, last night bringing back a brand new series of All Star Mr & Mrs (8pm), just to give the lonely presenter something to do.
2.9 million viewers watched as actor Jimi Mistry, a TV presenter and tennis legend Martina Navratilova got grilled by their better halves, resulting in a 13% share.
9pm brought the middle part of three episode spook-fest Midwinter of the Spirit (ITV) which saw Anna Maxwell Martin’s exorcising Rev team up with David Threlfall’s barmy holy man to track down a satanic cult.
An entertaining mash up of Midsomer Murders and The Exorcist, last week’s debut failed to compete with BBC One’s psychological drama, only pulling 2 million viewers. Yesterday’s atmospheric fun saw the audience fall to 1.3 million viewers and a 6% share.
Things were a little more highbrow over on BBC One as documentary filmmaker Robb Leech (My Brother the Islamist) attempted to add some balance to an East London Mosque that has had some bad press.
Welcome to the Mosque (8pm) was watched by 698,000 viewers and a 3% share , while afterwards The Face of Britain by Simon Schama (9pm) netted 801,000 viewers and a 4% share.
[advert position=”left”]Over on Channel 4, Kirsty and Phil went through the motions for the 6 millionth episode of Location Location Location (8pm) which secured 779,000 viewers and a 3% share.
Afterwards, Kevin McCloud brought viewers the best Grand Designs ever as 37 year-old Angelo Mastropietro hacked out an amazing pad from a rocky cave, netting 2.1 million viewers and a 10% share.
On Channel 5, the grimness of The Nightmare Neighbour Next Door (8pm) and Can’t Pay? We’ll Take it Away (9pm) pulled in 545,000 and 1.2 million viewers, respectively.
One night after beating EastEnders, rural murder-fest Emmerdale (ITV, 7pm) skulked back into fourth place. 5.6 million viewers tuned in to country people being awful to each other, resulting in a 32% share.
At 7:30pm it was time for Sally Webster to face the music on Coronation Street (ITV) as she desperately waited at the alter for Tim to show up. Sally’s latest life hiccup was watched by 6.6 million viewers and a 34% share, the day’s second biggest audience.
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. Overnight data supplied by TRP are based on 15 minute slot averages. This may differ from tape checked figures, which are based on a programme’s actual start and end time.
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