[Arneldo]

JUST 3.5 million viewers tuned into the start of Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack last night on Channel 4.

It was seen by 3.2 million on Channel 4 and a further 325,000 people saw the launch show in which Little Britain’s Matt Lucas took on the BB role on E4.

This compares to the 7.1 million who watched the beginning of Celebrity Big Brother with Shilpa Shetty and Jade Goody a year ago.

But after the initial show on C4, nearly 2 million viewers continued to watch it on E4 – the digital channel’s highest figures for a homegrown show.

The rest of the series, which continues for more than three weeks, is running on E4.

A C4 spokeswoman said: “We’re thrilled with the launch – 1.9 million marks E4’s highest ever audience for a home grown commission. Last night’s show was a strong start.”

From The Sun