Traumatic meal on The Island sees the women’s group net 2.3m
After dealing with severe hunger, dehydration, separation and fraying tempers, Thursday’s night visit to The Island with Bear Grylls (Channel 4, 9pm) saw the recently-reunited female camp face their biggest challenge yet (apart from navigation, obvs).
The first two episodes saw the majority of the women getting lost for days on end in the jungle while those left behind wasted away mentally and physically, so it was good to see last night’s adventure in crying bringing a much-needed recovery.
After getting off to an absolutely awful and highly entertaining start, last week’s lady-focused slice of survival brought the two teams back together thanks to pure chance.
After already losing two castaways, yesterday saw the remaining twelve women really begin to struggle with lack of water and food, only saved by the fact they finally managed to get a fire going.
Pity, then, they decided to up and leave for another beach on the other side of the island.
Despite collapsing from hunger, there was much debate amongst the group over which moral path to take when they came across two cute little piglets.
As the men built huts, formed hunting groups, set traps and tore through the jungle the previous night, the women’s group embraced little Sage and Onion into their camp on a new beach, even getting cuddles during the long nights.
The first trip to the female island brought in 2 million viewers two weeks ago, rising to 2.3 million viewers last week as viewers realised the TV-gold potential of the situation, while the men’s caiman-skinning antics the night before secured 2.1 million.
Yesterday 2.3 million people tuned in to see 25-year-old Lauren do the unthinkable and take a knife to the sibling’s throats, traumatising viewers and the twittersphere alike. The emotional roller-coaster took in a 12% share for Channel 4.
There was some more devastating loss over on ITV as, sadly, it was time to wave goodbye to Ice Rink on the Estate (9pm). After three very special episodes, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean were legally contracted to break contact with their new common friends, with the grand finale taking in a modest 1.4 million viewers and a 7% share.
Elsewhere, BBC One’s Crimewatch secured the 9pm slot with the latest appeals bringing in 3.6 million viewers and an 18% share.
At the same time, the second series of 2012-spin off W1A (9pm) struck while the iron was hot with about a million references to former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson per minute, all bleeped out and pixelated for comedy affect, with the hour-long special netting 1.5 million viewers and an 8% share.
On Channel 5, general chancer Alex Polizzi made her second prime time appearance of the night with The Hotel Inspector (9pm). Using her amazing powers of hindsight, the professional pointer-outer-of-the-obvious netted 969,000 and a 5% share.
Earlier at 8pm, the BBC offered up a coupled culinary cook off, with the latest in a never-ending parade of MasterChef bringing in 5 million viewers (a 35% share) to BBC One, while Alex Polizzi: Chefs on Trial was watched by 889,000 viewers and a 5% share on BBC Two.
On Channel 4, The Supervet (8pm) was busy working against God’s plan by enhancing broken animals with augmented parts and special abilities, securing 1.5 million viewers and an 8% share.
Earlier on in the Yorkshire Dales, there was more backstabbing, bed-hopping fun to be had in a double dollop of fresh Emmerdale goodness. The 7pm show was watched by just 5 million viewers and a 31% share, falling to 4.7 million viewers and a 24% share at 8pm.
Stuffed in between over on BBC One was EastEnders at 7:30pm and it was still funeral time in Walford. Thursday’s biggest audience watched as Dot arrived at Jim’s funeral and made another stirring speech, winning 5.9 million viewers and a 33% 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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