[Red Moon]

Jungle reality show keeps up the heat

I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! series seven opened strongly with 8.7 million viewers and a 38% share on ITV1 between 9pm and 10.30pm last night.

The return of the show gained the same average share as last year's debut, which also ran for 90 minutes from 9pm, but was down by 200,000 viewers. This year's contestants include Hollyoaks actress Gemma Atkinson and pop stars Jason 'J' Brown and Cerys Matthews.

Last night's showing was also down on the 2005 debut, which pulled in 9.4 million viewers and a 37% average.

However, not surprisingly, the return of the Ant and Dec-fronted show was the comfortable winner of the evening, handsomely beating BBC1's drama documentary Heroes & Villains in the 9pm hour.

The history programme, which told the story of the 1793 siege of Toulon and starred Tom Burke, Rob Brydon and Kenneth Cranham, pulled in 2.1 million viewers and a 9% share. It was followed by the BBC News at 10pm which attracted a below-par 3.3 million and 15%.

The latest Stephen Poliakoff drama, Capturing Mary, drew 3 million viewers and a 13% share on BBC2 between 9pm and 10.40pm. Starring Ruth Wilson and Maggie Smith and telling the story of a young working class girl's struggles with a malign establishment figure played by Little Britain star David Walliams.

However, it did not perform as strongly as Poliakoff's other recent drama. Joe's Palace averaged 4.1 million viewers and an 18% share between 9pm and 10.50pm on Sunday night, but was shown in a higher-profile slot on BBC1.

Channel 4's Remembrance themed evening saw A Time Team Special on D-Day pull in 1.7 million viewers and a 7% share between 9pm and 10pm. This was followed between 10pm and 11.40pm by Forgotten Heroes: the Not Dead, which saw poet Simon Armitage tell the story of former members of the armed forces and attracted 600,000 viewers and a 4% share.

Street Crime Live on Channel 5 attracted 1 million viewers and a 4% share between 9pm and 10pm, while a documentary on Japanese cannibal Issei Sagawa, The Cannibal that Walked Free, drew 900,000 and 5% between 10pm and 11.05pm.

Source: The Guardian