Ratings Roundup: 'Richard and Judy' back ahead

The Richard & Judy Show climbed back ahead of Paul O'Grady's competing talkshow in the ratings yesterday (Wednesday), according to early figures.

The Channel 4 show averaged 1.75 million viewers and a 12.8% audience share in the 5pm hour, marginally ahead of ITV1's 1.68 million (12.4%). O'Grady, better known as drag act Lily Savage, had previously scored victories on Monday and Tuesday. Still ahead of both, meanwhile, was BBC Two's The Weakest Link, which held 2.95 million (20.4%) from 5.15pm. The audience dropped off significantly in the next hour to just 0.96 million (5.2%) for The Apprentice USA.

Amongst the teatime soaps, Neighbours was a clear winner with 2.90 million (18.6%) at 5.35pm, more than a million ahead of fellow Aussie import Home & Away, which drew in 1.71 million (9.4%) to Five at 6pm. Half an hour later, Hollyoaks trounced Family Affairs with 1.62 million (8.4%) against 0.98 million (5.1%) respectively.

Emmerdale averaged 8.26 million (40.3%) at 7pm while at 7.30pm, Coronation Street was the night's overall top scorer on 10.83 million (48.6%).

In the 8pm hour, cop drama The Bill kept ITV1 ahead with 6.87 million (29.5%). BBC One's What Not To Wear averaged 5.00 million (21.5%) and on Channel 4, Property Ladder scored with 3.43 million (14.7%). BBC Two held just 1.60 million (6.9%) with Everest: The Challenge while Five's new series Jennie Bond's Royals finished last with 1.20 million (5.1%).

The following hour BBC One took the lead with Alan Titchmarsh's British Isles: A Natural History educating some 6.41 million (27.2%). ITV's concluding Steel River Blues averaged 4.59 million (19.5%) at the same time, in a close race with Channel 4's Grand Designs on 3.56 million (15.1%). Five had its top show of the night with CSI on 2.04 million (8.7%), leaving BBC Two's paranormal-flavoured Talking To The Dead with an average of 1.60 million (6.9%).

Just several days from its big finale, another elimination in Five's rural reality series The Farm saw ratings rise to 1.45 million (9.0%) at 10pm.

Over on multichannel, ITV2's Wednesday movie The Hand That Rocks The Cradle kept 326,000 viewers (a 2.7% multichannel share) between 9pm and 11.10pm. It wasn't such good news for MTV's new series Straight Plan For The Gay Man, seen by only 16,000 viewers (0.2%) at 10pm.

Overall during primetime, ITV1 was down slightly but still on top with an average share of 29.3% (last week: 30.8%). BBC One finished second with 23.9% (23.0%), followed by Channel 4 on 11.3% (11.9%) and BBC Two on 6.1% (7.1%). Five had a marginal last place finish with 6.0% (5.6%).

Ratings data supplied by ViewingFigures.com