Reality TV

6.4 million watch Celeb BB launch show

Published Saturday, Jan 3 2009, 10:39 GMT | By Neil Wilkes

A peak of over 6.4 million viewers tuned in to watch the launch of a new series of Celebrity Big Brother last night (Friday), according to early figures.

The opening show, which saw stars such as Ulrika Jonsson, La Toya Jackson and Verne Troyer enter the BB house, averaged 5.27m (21.8%) for Channel 4 between 9pm and 10.15pm. The peak audience of 6.42m (26.9%) came at 10pm.

The figure is down significantly on the last run - broadcast in January 2007 - when 7.1m, and a peak of 8m, tuned in to see the likes of Shilpa Shetty move in.

E4 spinoff show Celebrity Big Brother's Big Mouth, fronted by new host Jack Whitehall, followed the Channel 4 show with 793k (4.3%) over 50 minutes. E4's live streaming from the house then kept up a decent 345k (4.7%) until 2am, peaking with 695k (5.6%) at 11.20pm.

Channel 4's average share in primetime was 12.1%, up significantly from last week's 5.2%.

On ITV1 at 9pm, a repeat of Midsomer Murders delivered a healthy 5m (22%) until 11pm. BBC One's tribute show Morecambe & Wise: The Show What Paul Merton Did averaged 3.66m (14.9%) and BBC Two's new religious travelogue series Around The World In 80 Faiths launched to 1.21m (4.9%). Five had 921k (3.7%) for NCIS.

Earlier, BBC Two's Natural World - this week about the Great White shark - drew 1.72m (7.1%) for the 8pm hour, while on C4, a new series of A Place in the Sun: Down Under notched up 1.58m (6.5%). Five picked up 1.43m (5.9%) for World's Strongest Man.

Coronation Street drew the day's best numbers of any channel, with 8.94m (37.9%) at 7.30pm and 9.28m (38.3%) at 8.30pm. EastEnders was second on 8.97m (37.4%), while Emmerdale had 7.88m (35.5%) for third.

A double-bill of Hollyoaks brought in 1.43m (6.9%) to Channel 4 in the 6pm hour, then E4's first-look had 570k (2.9%) at 7pm.

ITV1 finished first in primetime with an average share of 27.6%, up from 23.4% last week. BBC One tumbled from 32.4% to a disastrous 16.6%. Channel 4 was third, then BBC Two had 6.9% - down from 10.4% - and Five rose from 2.9% to 3.8%.