A new series of Fame Academy could still be off the agenda despite the huge popularity of the celebrity version in aid of comic relief.

A massive 13.9 million tuned in on Friday night to see Casualty actor Will Mellor beat out comedian Ruby wax to win the series, a figure comparable with that of ITV's hit Pop Idol last year.

The original series began in the autumn on a very bad footing, getting a poor reception from both viewers and the media, who failed to take to the contestants in the way they do with Channel 4's annual Big Brother.

Scheduling of the series was partly to blame, with the corporation putting its midweek shows out in the 7pm slot, usually dominated by ITV soap Emmerdale. As the series drew to its conclusion and the number of contestants fell, ratings began to pick up, eventually finishing on a respectable high of 8 million.

The celebrity version steadily grew in terms of both its ratings and the crucial media interest as its week-long timespan progressed. Despite the identical 7pm scheduling, the series managed more than a 7 million average across its run, making it an unlikely success for the BBC.

A second series is far from guaranteed however, according to the Media Guardian today. Whilst it has delievered the ratings, senior executives at the BBC are concerned the effect the show will have on its image. Director-General Greg Dyke is said to be worried that critics will use a second Fame Academy to undermine the BBC's bid for the renewal of its royal charter.

A member of the Fame Academy production staff told the website: "While the production team felt the increased popularity of the initial series followed by the massive popularity of the Comic Relief special would have secured a second run, [BBC One boss] Lorraine Heggessey is so politically astute that she knows full well that if the governors are against it, then she's not going to go the wire on it."

A BBC spokesman said "no decision" had yet been made about the show's future.