'X-Factor' continues to hog Saturday audience with 11.6m viewers

by Daniel Farey-Jones, Brand Republic 26-Oct-09, 08:55

LONDON - 'The X-Factor' drew 11.6 million viewers to ITV1 on Saturday night, coming in 3.2m viewers ahead of 'Strictly Come Dancing', according to unofficial overnight figures.

Both shows ran to two hours in length, but ITV1 scheduled 'X-Factor' an hour later than its BBC One rival, at 8-10pm.

'Strictly Come Dancing' attracted a 33% share of viewing with 8.4 million tuning in at 7-9pm, as Jo Wood was voted off the show.

But ITV1 enjoyed a 44% share during 'X-Factor's airtime and during the hour that the two shows were head to head 'X-Factor' led by 11.1 million viewers to 7.9 million.

Sunday's audience was even bigger, with 13.4 million tuning in to see a public vote eject girl group Miss Frank from the contest, dwarfing the 5.2 million audience for BBC One's 'Antiques Roadshow' in the same 8-9pm slot.

In the 9-10pm slot ITV1 scored another substantial victory after 'Doc Martin' brought in 8.7 million viewers and a 33.8% share.

BBC One took second place with the conclusion of its four-part costume drama 'Emma' garnering 3.7 million viewers and a 14.2% share.

Channel 4 offered the premiere of high school comedy 'John Tucker Must Die', managing 1.6 million viewers and a 7% share at 9-10.40pm. Another 200,000 people watched it on Channel 4+1.

This put it ahead of Five, which averaged 1.2 million for movie 'Bad Boys II', but behind BBC Two's 1.9 million audience for 'Charley Boorman: Sydney to Tokyo by Any Means'.