Viewers taken with '49 Up'

More than 5 million viewers tuned in for the latest 7 Up update, 49 Up, last night.

The show, which has met up with the same group of people every seven years since the age of seven years old, returned to ITV with a respectable average of 5.21 million (24.4%) between 9pm and 10.30pm. The previous edition, broadcast on BBC One in 1998, pulled in 7.22 million.

EastEnders was the day's top performer with 9.46 million (46.7%) at 7.30pm, plus a further 705,000 (5%) via BBC Three's repeat airing. Emmerdale improved to 8.21 million (43.6%) for second place.

Once again, Rogue Traders rated well in the 8pm hour with an average of 6.44 million (29.4%) and third place for the day. ITV1's The Bill had 5.72 million (25.7%) for fourth.

Amongst the multichannels, a new Brainiac: Science Abuse averaged 409,000 (2.6%) for Sky One at 8pm, while on ITV2, coverage of the UEFA game between Dinamo Bucharest and Everton impressed 564,000 (3.8%).