TV ratings: The Apprentice regains its top spot

[chris]

Sir Alan Sugar and his candidates regained the 9pm ratings top spot last night, Wednesday 8 April, after The Apprentice pulled in 1.2 million more viewers than last week.

This season's third episode, in which contestants had to design and market a piece of home gym equipment, attracted 7.4 million viewers and a 31% share to BBC1 at 9pm, according to unofficial overnight figures.

The follow-up programme, The Apprentice - You're Fired!, which featured an interview with newly fired candidate Majid Nagra, on BBC2 between 10pm and 10.30pm, was also popular with 2.8 million viewers and a 14% share.

Last week's episode of the reality show pulled in 6.4 million viewers and a 25% share, but was beaten by ITV1's live coverage of England's World Cup qualifying victory over Ukraine. The launch show a fortnight ago attracted a record 8.1 million and a 33% share.

In the battle for second place at 9pm, Superhuman: World's Tallest Children on ITV1 was beaten by Grand Designs on Channel 4. The pressures of building a modern-style mansion during a recession pulled in 2.6 million viewers and a 11% share on Channel 4, scraping a win against the 2.4 million and 10% tuning in to watch World's Tallest Children.

A second showing of Grand Designs on digital catchup service Channel 4 +1 at 10pm gained another 302,000 viewers and a 1.9% multichannel share.

Over on Sky Sports 2, Champions League football picked up 1.5 million viewers. The live coverage of the Chelsea v Liverpool match at Anfield pulled in a 7.6% multichannel share between 7pm and 10.30pm.

In the 8pm hour, Channel Five's new series Oil Riggers, looking at oilmen in Texas, got off to a good start with 1.4 million viewers and a 7% share.

At the same time on ITV2, an archive-based edition of Britain's Got More Talent attracted more than 500,000 viewers and a 2.9% multichannel share. It competed against the second instalment of new BBC2 series The Speaker, which pulled in just 900,000 viewers.

In the battle of the TV soaps, ITV1's Emmerdale attracted 6.2 million viewers and a 33% share at 7pm, while Coronation Street at 7.30pm drew 8 million and 38%. Hollyoaks on Channel 4 attracted 1.6 million and a 9% share in the 6.30pm slot.



Source:MediaGuardian

[Channel Hopper]

A cracking episode.

Can't see anyone in the latest series working (successfully) for Mr Sugar.