© Rex Features
The 9.30pm extravaganza pulled in 9.67m and a 40.8% audience share. A further 232k (1.4%) watched on timeshift. ITV2 spinoff show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! Now! was the most-watched multichannel programme of the night, luring 1.61m (9.6%).
Earlier on ITV1, Harry Hill's TV Burp tickled 4.53m (17.7%) at 7.30pm, and an additional 239k (0.9%) tuned in an hour later. The X Factor semi-final hit a 10.26m average (39.9%), with 357k (1.5%) opting to watch on ITV1+1. The Xtra Factor held on to 320k (1.4%) for ITV2 at 9.30pm.
Strictly Come Dancing proved popular on BBC One, waltzing away with 10.33m (41.7%) from 7pm. Merlin followed with 5.66m (21.8%) and 3.84m (15.1%) rushed to Casualty.
> The X Factor semi-final: Amelia, Marcus, Little Mix and Misha B - in pictures
> Strictly Come Dancing movies week - in pictures
100 Years of the Palladium intrigued a solid 2.29m (8.9%) on BBC Two before QI XL quizzed 1.81m (7.2%).
Channel 4's night began shakily with Tony Robinson's Gods and Monsters, which interested just 646k (2.5%). Its timeshift audience of 118k (0.5%), however, was comparatively strong. A showing of Taken starring Liam Neeson thrilled 1.23m (5.2%) from 9pm, and a stellar 387k (2.2%) tuned in on +1.
Police drama NCIS attracted 478k (1.8%) to Channel 5 during The X Factor's timeslot, and at 9pm An Audience with Bob Monkhouse amused 840k (3.4%).
ITV1 stormed primetime with 31.7%, leaving BBC One trailing on 23.8%. BBC Two, Channel 4 and Channel 5 followed with 6.2%, 3.5% and 3.3% respectively.
BARB ratings data supplied by Attentional
