[Stu]

UK News
More Than 8 Million Watch Big Brother Opener
Thursday, 31st May 2007, 10:57
Category: TV, Film and Theatre
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Big Brother appears to have retained its incredible popularity among viewers despite recent controversies as more than eight million people tuned into last night's opening show.

Delighted Channel 4 bosses hailed the series opener a ratings war winner as the viewing figures equalled the previous highest peak of viewers for a Big Brother launch show.

Unofficial overnight figures revealed more than eight million fans - more than a third of all people watching TV at the time (35 per cent) - tuned in to watch the climax of the Big Brother launch show.

The figure equalled the previous highest peak of viewers for a Big Brother launch show, and beat stiff competition on other channels - including The Apprentice on BBC1 - to be the most popular programme between 9pm and 10pm.

Big Brother 8 launched with an average of 6.2 million viewers and 26 per cent share of viewing, peaking at more than eight million viewers at 10pm. Nearly half of all 16 to 34-year-old viewers watching TV at the time (46 per cent) were tuned in to Big Brother.

Channel 4's commissioning editor for Big Brother and Head of E4, Angela Jain, said: "This heralds a fantastic start to Big Brother.

"We remain as committed as ever to making this year's series the most entertaining yet."

Big Brother's Big Mouth scored 1.2 million viewers later on Channel 4, making it the second most watched programme at the time.

The E4 streaming also proved a hit with viewers as 1.1 million viewers turned over to watch live action from the Big Brother house at 10:15pm, with an average of 572,000 staying tuned until 12.45am.

Unofficial overnight ratings take no account of viewers who may have video recorded the programme