2.3m 'Cookalong' with Ramsay for Xmas

A festive edition of Gordon Ramsay's Cookalong Live pulled in the show's second highest audience of the series on Friday night.

The programme, which saw the chef cooking an alternative Christmas menu of chestnut soup, chicken fricassee and trifle, had 2.34m (10.8%) in the 9pm hour. Over its seven episodes, the series has had mixed fortunes, starting strongly but then gradually dropping off to a low of 1.26m (5.3%) last week.

On Friday it beat BBC Two documentary RAF At 90, which averaged 2.06m (9.7%) over 90 minutes from 9pm, and Five's NCIS, with 1.5m (6.9%) for the hour.

A repeat of Midsomer Murders delivered 3.7m (18.4%) to ITV1 over two hours. On BBC One, Have I Got News For You had 4.5m (20.4%), then Gavin & Stacey amused 2.65m (12.5%).

A double-bill of Law & Order: SVU had 1.21m (6.6%) and 968k (8.5%) for Five from 10pm, and on Channel 4, a new episode of The IT Crowd picked up 1.45m (7.5%).

Coronation Street had the day's best numbers, with 9.06m (42.5%) at 7.30pm and 8.34m (37.4%) at 8.30pm. EastEnders picked up 8.21m (37.6%) for BBC One and 568k (3.2%) for BBC Three. Emmerdale was seen by 6.86m (33.8%).

Hollyoaks pulled in 1.37m (6.8%) to Channel 4 at 6.30pm, then 520k (2.9%) to E4 at 7pm (+1: 63k, 0.1%). On Five, Neighbours had 1.46m (9.3%) and Home & Away had 1.02m (5.5%).

BBC Two's Gardener of the Decade programme managed a reasonable 1.76m (8%) in the 8pm hour, just ahead of the 1.66m (7.5%) for Channel 4's Come Dine With Me. On Five, World's Strongest Man Super Series picked up 1.05m (4.7%).

ITV1 was first place in primetime with an average share of 25.6% (last week: 34%) to BBC One's 19.4% (19.1%). BBC Two was third with 8% (7.1%), followed by Channel 4 with 7.1% (5%) and Five with 4.9% (4.4%).

Ratings data supplied by Attentional