Friday Final Sees Strongest Ever Celeb Big Brother

Friday’s Celebrity Big Brother finale saw the series record its best ever closing performance, topping the culmination of previous editions, as 6.4 million individuals tuned in to see non-celebrity Chantelle crowned the programme’s victor.

The previous series of Celebrity Big Brother, culminating at the beginning at 2005, saw former Happy Mondays dancer Bez emerge the champion, watched by an average of 5.7 million (see Celeb Big Brother Bows Out With A Bang).

Prior finales saw former Take That singer Mark Owen and comedian Jack Dee scoop the title, watched in 2002 and 2001 by 5.4 and 5.7 million respectively.

The latest series saw a strong start at the beginning of the month (see Big Brother Launch Sees Success For Channel 4), although its launch was topped in 2002, with a record debut audience of 7.6 million tuning in for the start of the second series.

This year’s programme ran for the longest of any Celebrity Big Brother series, weighing in at a patience-testing three weeks. However, average viewing figures for the programme matched that of the first, and shortest, series, at 4.8 million.

Both intervening series recorded lower average viewing, at 4.1 and 4.2 million for 2002 and 2005 respectively.

This year’s Celebrity Big Brother was almost certainly hampered by ITV’s consistent challenging in prime time. The programme was repeatedly faced with competition from the likes of Soapstar Superstar and Dancing On Ice (see ITV Continues Winning Celebrity Streak).

Viewing figures used for comparison comprise consolidated data for series 1 to 3, as well as the first 12 shows of series 4. After this date live data was used.

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, ITV2 and Sky One.

Channel Four: 020 7396 4444 www.channel4.com