Friday Ratings: Paul O’Grady See’s Ratings Rise

Overnight figures for Friday evening reveal that Paul O’Grady Live, the new ITV chat-show, saw a rise in ratings while New Tricks pulled in 7 million viewers over on BBC1.

The week’s final edition of The One Show drew 4.2 million viewers at 7pm on BBC One; ending the week more or less how it began ratings wise. At the same time on ITV1’s rural soap Emmerdale closed the week with 6.7 million viewers. Following Emmerdale at 7.30 was the evening’s first edition of Coronation Street which had 8.1 million viewers against Real Rescues on BBC One which drew 3.6 million viewers. At 8pm BBC One soap EastEnders pulled in a strong 8.3 million viewers – giving it a victory over rival Coronation Street. The BBC Three repeat at 10pm was seen by a further 650,000 viewers giving a combined audience of 8.9 million viewers.

At 8.30 on BBC One quiz-show QI, fronted by Stephen Fry, had 4.4 million viewers while the second edition of Coronation Street saw figures fall to 7.9 million viewers. Mastermind on BBC Two delivered 2.1 million viewers followed by Gardeners World with 1.7 million viewers. Come Dine With Me on Channel Four appealed to 1.4 million viewers. Earlier in the evening teen-soap Hollyoaks ended the week with fewer than 1 million viewers. Ratings for the soap dipped to 847,000 viewers despite the fact that during the week ratings had risen to 1.3 million viewers.

At 9pm juggernaut police drama New Tricks returned to its Friday evening slot after moving last week for Strictly Come Dancing. Back in its Friday slot the BBC One drama, which stars Amanda Redman and Alun Armstrong, had 7 million viewers. The Song of Lunch on BBC Two had 1.2 million viewers. ITV’s new chat-show Paul O’Grady Live at 9pm saw ratings rise to 4 million viewers following several weeks of decline. Embarrassing Bodies on Channel Four continues a lackluster evening for the broadcaster with 1.2 million viewers.

Channel Five’s best ratings for the evening were at 8pm for Eddie Stobart: Trucks and Trailers which had 1.5 million viewers. Australian soap Neighbours pulled in 1.2 million viewers at 5.30 while at 6pm fellow Aussie soap Home and Away was seen by 840,000 viewers. American drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit at 10pm delivered Channel Five’s third biggest audience of the evening with 1 million viewers. Beforehand crime drama The Mentalist dipped below 1 million viewers with 950,000 viewers.