BBC is viewers' choice on election night

BBC One claimed a substantial victory on election night, according to early ratings figures.

An average of 4.2 million viewers - a 35% share of the available audience - tuned in for the corporation's early polling coverage between 9.55pm and 2am. ITV1's competing broadcast could only manage a 1.7 million (15%) average over the same period.

Sky News, meanwhile, held an average of 111,000 (1.06%) between 9pm and 2am, reaching a peak of 219,000 (1.77%) at 10.45pm. News 24 and the ITV News Channel pulled in audiences of 74,000 (0.82%) and 22,000 (0.2%) respectively for simulcasts of their terrestrial counterparts.

Elsewhere on Thursday night, Channel 4's movie presentation of The Full Monty appealed to 3.08 million (14.4%) between 9pm and 10.40pm, easily topping Five's premiere of Charlie's Angels, which averaged 1.83 million (8.5%) between 8pm and 10pm.

Top programme of the night was BBC One's EastEnders, which drew a substantially reduced 8.71 million (45.2%) at 7.30pm. Emmerdale took 8.12 million (46%) for second, followed by The Bill with 6.08 million (28.7%) and Footballers' Wives with 5.53 million (25.2%).

A new episode of ER was multichannel's highest-ranking original show of the day, averaging 489,000 (3.3%) on E4 at 9pm. A further 146,000 (1.1%) opted to watch the show an hour later on E4+1.

Also in the 9pm hour, Sky One's first-run Cold Case managed to tie with ITV2's Real Crime repeat at an average of 333,000 (2.2%).

Ratings data supplied by ViewingFigures.com