Crimewatch trumps Ladette to Lady with 4.4m viewers

by Nikki Sandison, Brand Republic 03-Jun-09, 10:40

LONDON - BBC One's 'Crimewatch', which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this week, pulled in 4.4m viewers, beating the new series of ITV1's 'Ladette to Lady', according to unofficial overnight figures.

'Crimewatch', which featured a reconstruction of missing 35-year-old chef Claudia Lawrence's last movements along with interviews with detectives, victims and viewers marking its 25 years, attracted a 20.8% share of the 9pm-10pm audience.

The first instalment of a new series of 'Ladette to Lady', which saw the teachers at Eggleston Hall begin work on transforming a raucous group of young Australian women into ladies, drew 2.6m viewers and a 12.3% share of the audience.

BBC Two began its three-part series following retail troubleshooter Mary Portas, this time sorting out charity shops. Starting with Save The Children's Orpington store, 'Mary Queen of Charity Shops' also managed 2.6m viewers and a 12.1% share.

Channel 4 is also looking at the world of retail with four-part series 'I'm Running Sainsburys', in which the supermarket's staff pitch ideas to help credit-crunched shoppers.

However, it pulled in a million fewer viewers than Mary Portas, getting 1.6m, enough for a 7.7% share.

Five's helping of 'CSI' in the same slot attracted 2.4m viewers giving the channel an 11.3% share.