I'm a Celebrity opener pulls in 8.9m viewers on ITV1
LONDON - 'I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!' returned to ITV1 last night with 8.9m viewers tuning in to see celebrities including tennis star Martina Navratilova, Robert Kilroy Silk and 'Star Trek' actor George Takei, enter the jungle, according to unofficial overnight figures.
The 90 minute opening episode, which saw former EastEnder Joe Swash win the first bush tucker trial against former Blue singer Simon Webbe, won the prime time slot with 8.9m viewers and a 34.9% share of the 9pm to 10.30pm audience.
The show is sponsored by Iceland with idents featuring former contestants including Kerry Katona, Christopher Biggins and Jason Donovan.
Last night's episode also saw unknown glamour model Nicola McLean raise temperatures as she showered in her white bikini reprising the presenter/model MyLeene Klass's appearance on the show and grabbing headlines in the process. Klass went on to star in Marks & Spencer advertising on the back of her bikini wearing.
Former TV presenter and MEP, Kilroy was the first person to lose his cool in the jungle, claiming that the women in his camp were going to be a nightmare and calling footballer Joe Cole's girlfriend Carly Zucker a "control freak".
Swash, who was voted by the viewers to tackle the next trial against McLean, is the early bookmakers' favourite to win the eighth series.
The final part of BBC One's 'Stephen Fry in America' travel series came in second in the ratings battle with 6.2m viewers and a 23.4% share of the 9pm to 10pm audience.
Last night's episode saw Fry complete the last leg of his journey around America by travelling north up the Pacific coast from San Francisco to Alaska and then back down to Hawaii.
'Dragon's Den: The Dragons' Stories', which last night told the story of Peter Jones who made his money in the telecoms industry, attracted 2.4m viewers and an 8.9% share of the 9pm to 10pm audience on BBC Two.
Julia Roberts film 'Erin Brockovich' netted 1.5m and an 8.3% share of the 9pm to 11.30pm audience on Channel 5 beating Channel 4's airing of 'Alien vs Predator' which pulled in 1.2m viewers and a 4.9% share of the 9pm to 10.45pm audience.
Earlier in the evening, the 'Strictly Come Dancing' results show, which saw actress Cherie Lunghi voted off the show, pulled in 9.5m and a 32.7% share of the 8.15pm to 9pm audience.
*The 'Antiques Roadshow' drew 10.1m viewers and a 38.6% share of the 7.15pm to 8.15pm audience to BBC One as people tuned in to see the show's first £1m find.*
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