'The X Factor' surges to almost 11m

The X Factor pulled in a hefty 10.9m (49.2%) for ITV on Saturday night, according to overnight data.

Featuring a teenage punch-up, the third episode of the seventh series - which aired between 7.30pm and 8.45pm - attracted 10.46m (47.2%) to ITV1, plus an extra 437k (2%) to the network's HD channel - all-in-all a 900k rise on last week's audience.

While last night's edition peaked at an impressive 11.7m (51%), it averaged 900k less than the equivalent episode last year.

The Xtra Factor delivered 1.57m (7.2%) to ITV2, double the audience of the second most-watched multichannel programme of the day, Family Guy.

The National Lottery's Big Night flopped against The X Factor, with 2.29m (10.2%) between 7.40pm and 8.45pm. BBC One was buoyed only by Casualty, which followed the draws with a slot-winning 5.22m (24.1%).

Prior to all that, a repeat screening of Wallace & Gromit In The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit picked up 2.91m (16.8%) for the channel from 6.20pm, beaten by You've Been Framed and Odd One In on ITV1, entertaining 3.26m (20.9%) and 4.23m (24%) respectively.

Post-X Factor, the channel found 4.29m (20.6%) for The Bourne Ultimatum, along with a further 251k (1.2%). Ultimate Big Brother fell to a disappointing 1.77m (8.1%), and 349k (1.9%) on 4+1. Rufus Hound's My Funniest Year debuted to 1m (6.8%) from 10pm till after midnight.

Over on Five, two episodes of CSI had 943k (4.4%) and 964k (4.6%) at 9.15pm and 10.15pm. Earlier, an NCIS double bill took 939k (4.4%) and 1.12m (4.9%) from 7.30pm, while Channel 4's 102 Minutes That Changed America appealed to 1.69m (8%), and 315k (1.4%) on timeshift.

Overall, ITV1 came top during primetime with an average share of 29.4% (HD: 1.4%) ,while BBC One registered 18.2%, exactly level year-on-year. Channel 4 was third with 7.5% (+1: 1.4%), and Five followed with 4.6%.

Meanwhile, BBC Two averaged a dismal 3.6%, as its coverage of the BBC Proms mustered only 526k (2.7%) between 9pm and 11.10pm.

DS