'Shameless' returns with 1.8m on Channel 4

Shameless returned to Channel 4 with 1.8m on Tuesday evening, while Celebrity Big Brother stayed above 2m, overnight audience data has revealed.

Series eight of Shameless, which started in January but took a break in March, recommenced with a solid 1.8m (9.9%) on Channel 4 between 10pm and 11.15pm, along with a healthy 340k (3.6%) on +1.

Channel 5's Celebrity Big Brother stayed strong with 2.28m (12%) in the 10pm slot. Celebrity Big Brother's Bit On The Side took 233k (2.3%) on 5* from 11pm. Elsewhere on the channel, Mexican Food Made Easy cooked up 514k (2.4%) from 7.30pm, before Revealed had 744k (3.2%) in the 8pm hour. CSI: Miami investigated 2.15m (9.1%) from 9pm.

Observation documentary Seven Dwarves averaged 2.1m (8.9%) for Channel 4 in the 9pm hour, with 221k (1.2%) tuning in an hour later. The programme proved too strong for the concluding part of Sally Wainwright's Unforgiven, which had 1.68m (7.1%) on ITV1 and 106k (0.6%) on +1. However, both shows were outperformed by Harry's Arctic Heroes's 4.46m (19%) on BBC One.

Grimefighters entertained 2.03m (9.3%) on ITV1 from 7.30pm. BBC One's Holby City entertained 5.3m (22.9%) in the 8pm hour, easily beating Cops With Cameras's 2.95m (12.7%) on ITV1 and 166k (0.7%) on timeshift.

Back on Channel 4, coverage of the IAAF Athletics grabbed 980k (4.5%) from 7.30pm and 139k (0.6%) on +1, before Inside Nature's Giants attracted 1.27m (5.5%) from 8pm and 189k (0.8%) on timeshift.

A screening of The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, based on the bestselling novel depicting the Holocaust through the eyes of two 8-year-old boys on either side of the atrocity, was watched by 2.85m (12.5%) on BBC Two between 9pm and 10.30pm, while 167k (0.7%) tuned in on the BBC HD channel.

In a strong night for BBC Two, a repeat of Dragons' Den mustered 1.46m (7%) in the 7pm hour, and The Great British Bakeoff climbed to 3.57m (15.3%) in the 8pm slot.

Overall, BBC One won primetime with 22.8%, ahead of ITV1's modest 11.8% (+1: 0.5%). BBC Two came in a strong third with 11.3%, followed by Channel 4's 7% (+1: 0.8%) and Channel 5's 6.2%.

Elsewhere, Francesco's Italy: From Top To Toe topped the multichannel ratings with 788k (3.4%) on BBC Four in the 8pm hour, and Inside Gatwick captivated 489k (2.1%) on Sky1 from 9pm.

Over at BBC Three, Sex, Lies and Gagging Orders shocked 439k (1.9%) in the 9pm slot, and Elijah Wood's dark comedy Wilfred slumped 357k (2.1%) from 10.30pm.

BARB ratings data supplied by Attentional