Viewers hungry for primetime 'Come Dine'

'The Bill'

Moving Come Dine With Me to primetime proved a success for Channel 4 on Thursday night with 2.8m viewers tuning in at 8pm.

The celebrity-fuelled food show attracted 12.6% of the audience and half a million ahead of the slot average in its first airing outside daytime.

Channel 4 commissioned the primetime series, in which a competition is completed within in each hour-long show, to build on the success of the shorter daytime version.

ITV1 won the 8pm hour, however, thanks to the continuing appeal of The Bill. The cop drama drew 5m (22.5%) to exceed an audience of 3.4m (15.4%) for BBC One's Holby Blue.

BBC Two's repeat of Coast interested 2m (8.8%) while I Own Britain's Best Home, on Five, attracted 1m (4.7%).