Figures show Her Majesty’s seasonal message to the nation and the Commonwealth was the most-watched item of December 25, with a combined audience of 7.6 million across the BBC, ITV and Sky.
However BBC One sitcom Mrs Brown’s Boys won the most viewers of any single-channel show, with 6.8 million tuning in.
It triumphed over the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special, when 6.5 million saw TV presenter Katie Derham and pro dancer Brendan Cole crowned champions.
Last year’s Strictly special, which was head judge Len Goodman’s final appearance, topped the 2016 ratings with 7.2 million and bookies had expected it to win again this time.
BBC One enjoyed six of the top 10 shows on Christmas Day, with figures expected to rise this week as TV fans watch on catch-up.
Hit soap EastEnders and period drama Call The Midwife both attracted 6.3 million viewers.
The Queen’s broadcast had 5.9 million viewers on the Beeb, as well as 1.6 million on ITV and around 175,000 on Sky – a total audience of some 7.6 million.
Doctor Who, featuring Jodie Whittaker’s debut as the Time Lord and Peter Capaldi’s finale, was sixth with 5.7 million viewers.
Whittaker embarked on her journey as the first female Doctor with a bang as she fell from the Tardis moments after transforming into the Time Lord.
As Peter Capaldi’s Doctor regenerated, her first lines were warmly welcomed by fans.
Glimpsing the Tardis controls for the first time, she said in her native Yorkshire accent: “Ahh brilliant.”
ITV’s highest entry in the top 10 was at seventh place, with Coronation Street on 4.8 million.
BBC News was eighth with 4.2 million viewers, and The Highway Rat, the adaptation of the much-loved book by Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler, was ninth with four million on BBC One.
ITV’s Emmerdale was 10th with 3.5 million, while the channel’s drama Victoria had 2.5 million.
Charlotte Moore, director of BBC content, said: “Millions of people chose BBC One on Christmas Day and came together to enjoy the top six most popular programmes from comedy, drama and entertainment, with Mrs Brown’s Boys returning to the top spot.”
Channel 4 said The Great British Bake Off festive special attracted the broadcaster’s biggest Christmas Day audience since modern records began in 2002.
It won an average audience of 3.1 million viewers, peaking with 3.4 million.
That beat by a whisker the previous Channel 4 record holder Home Alone, which drew three million viewers in 2016.
Last year the festive Bake Off screened on BBC – before the show moved to Channel 4 – had an average of 6.3 million viewers.
Daily Express :: TV and Radio Feed
