ITV scores big as 9.4m tune in to see Biggins win

by Staff, Brand Republic 03-Dec-07, 08:55

LONDON - The final of 'I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!' on ITV1 pulled in 9.4m viewers who tuned in to watch the comedy actor Christopher Biggins be crowned as this year's king of the jungle.

Biggins, best know for starring in 1970s sitcom 'Porridge' and long-running children's comedy 'Rentaghost', beat runner up former American model Janice Dickinson. who likened her appearance on the show to child-birth: "This is the most difficult thing I've experienced."

Biggins, who is often described as flamboyant and now works mostly in pantomime, was in tears after winning the public vote. Jason "J" Brown, the former 5ive singer, was beaten into third place during the Friday night final .

Before he took the crown Biggins had to endure one final Bush Tucker trial, which involved him eating a crocodile's foot, three cockroaches, a kangaroo penis and a kangaroo testicle, leading him to joke that he was "really a breast man".

"It's been a wonderful, wonderful experience and I can't believe that I'm here, that I've done it. I've made wonderful friends and I've done wonderful things that I never thought I would do. Unbelievable fun, it was just the best," Biggins said.

On exiting the jungle, which was located in the Australian bush, Biggins was met by his partner Neil. The two married in a civil partnership in London last year.

The audience gave ITV1 almost half or 42% of the total TV audience. The final was seen by an average audience of 8.2m and 36% across its 90-minute duration, plus 36% of 16-34s.

The seventh series has been another hit for ITV1, consistently leading in its time slots and scoring huge amounts of free magazine and tabloid publicity ensuring that it will be back for an eighth series.