Almost 9 million UK mobile phone owners participated in reality TV voting in January, according to new ratings data.

The figure represents 21.8% of mobile owners and puts the UK significantly ahead of both Germany and the USA, where voting stood at 12.1% (5 million) and 7% (12.3 million) respectively.

"The prevalence of reality shows such as I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, Big Brother and X Factor in the UK is clearly changing mobile phone behaviour," said Paul Goode, a senior analyst at measurement firm M:Metrics. "TV programmes around the globe have been seeking new ways to engage with their audiences using various interactive platforms, and clearly, the British have chosen to use their mobile phones."