Charity Bake Off down -28%, beaten by Midsomer Murders
Last night brought the third outing of The Great Sport Relief Bake Off (8:30pm) to BBC One, with yesterday’s spin-off series marking the fifth annual charity jaunt, including two runs of the Comic Relief variety.
Following on from last summer’s hugely popular main event, which secured an overnight audience of 13.3 million viewers, yesterday saw some familiar faces step into the picturesque white tent of terror, hoping to entertain the masses with their inept skills while raising awareness for a good cause.
Alternating each January between Sports Relief and Comic Relief, the year’s first slice of Bake Off action kicked off in January 2012 and secured 3.3 million viewers, rising to 3.6 million viewers for the first episode of 2013’s charity special.
2014’s The Great Sport Relief Bake Off saw even better results, with the opening audience raising even further to 3.7 million viewers.
However, it was last year’s changes that saw the spin-off reach an audience closer to the original show. Just like Bake Off proper, 2015 saw the second bi-annual The Great Comic Relief Bake Off jump into the big leagues, all the way to the dizzying height of BBC One and secured an impressive 6.4 million viewers.
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Following from last year’s other broadcast changes, this series will continue to tease its baying audience and hold back the goodness by airing over four weeks instead of four consecutive days like the first three charity series.
The entire format has been one of the BBC’s notable success stories over the last few years, although last night’s venture in charitable baking unwillingly displayed the very first chink in the Bake Off‘s seemingly impenetrable armour.
Despite the presence of Samantha Cameron, an EastEnder, Jason Mansford and former footballer David James, yesterday’s début brought a drop in viewers for the first time in the show’s history, resulting in a year on year of -28%.
Perhaps it was a futile political decision, perhaps people are simply getting bored, or perhaps Midsomer Murders was just too good to miss but, in total, just 4.6 million viewers (a 20% share) tuned in to watch SamCam battle challenging canapes, a giggle-inducing Paris-Brest and a triumphant Trophy Cake.
ITV’s big evening offering did slightly better even though Midsomer Murders (8pm) was spread over a two hour period.
The latest trip to the cursed county brought a super competitive international cycling competition (UHOH) and it wasn’t long before DCI Barnaby and DS Nelson were scrapping evidence off the tarmac.
4.8 million viewers caught up with the relatively straight-faced cyclepath homicide, resulting in a 22% share for the commercial broadcaster.
On BBC Two, Winterwatch 2016 continued at 8pm, with 2.1 million viewers and a10% share tuning in for the (unseasonably) hot voyeuristic badger-watching action.
At 9pm, the not-the-one-currently-on-Channel 4 van Tulleken brother returned with another Trust Me, I’m a Doctor, which brought in 1.6 million viewers and a 7% share.
Channel 4’s evening offerings came in the shape of Mary Portas Secret Shopper at 8pm, which brought in 1.3 million viewers and a 6% share while 9pm’s 24 Hours in A&E which secured 1.5 million viewers and a 7% share.
On Channel 5, there were more unprofessional medical anecdotes on GPs: Behind Closed Doors at 8pm, resulting in 1.1 million viewers and a 5% share.
Celebrity Big Brother reached another summit of madness at 9pm, with an audience of 2.1 million viewers and a 10% share gawping at the mentally delicate for entertainment.
Earlier, ITV ruled the soap roost with Emmerdale bagging second place with 6.4 million and a 33% share at 7pm while Coronation Street scored the top spot at 7:30pm with 7.3 million viewers and a 35% 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. 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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