Celeb BB gets 8 million viewers

The fifth series of Celebrity Big Brother peaked at 8 million viewers last night, an increase on last year's first night audience, which peaked at 7.6 million viewers.

Over the show's 90-minutes it averaged 7.1 million viewers, an 8% increase on 2006's launch night, which managed 6.5 million viewers.

Taking a 28.4% share, Channel 4 won the slot, with ITV1's The Bill managing 5.6 million and a 22.2% share over 60-minutes, following on with Taggart which held onto 5.2 million and a 21.8% share for 90-minutes.

This was the second largest Celebrity Big Brother launch, beaten only by the opening night for series 2 which won an average 7.4 million and 30% audience share.

The channel also did well later in the evening with the first two episodes in the third series of Desperate Housewives managing 3.6 and 2.8 million viewers, peaking at 4.4 million and 3.0 million.

BBC One's Seaside Rescue at 8pm managed just 4.5 million and a 18.3% share, with the channel dropping to 3.7 million viewers for challenge programme, Mission Africa at 8.30pm.

Celebrity singing contest Just the Two of Us at 9pm pulled a few viewers back for the corporation with an audience of 3.9 million and a 16.1% share, with the later show, which aired after Celebrity Big Brother had finished, managing just 3.6 million and a 21% share.

Oscar-Wilde film adaptation, The Importance of Being Earnest, averaged 2.2 million on BBC Two, while the 9pm double-bill of Torchwood pulling in 2 million and a 8.3% share. Five's Mel Gibson film Ransom, managed 1.4 million and a 6.6% in the same slot.