BBC1 show gets average 8.4 million audience, narrowly ahead of 8.3 million for ITV rival
Strictly Come Dancing beat The X Factor in the television audience ratings when the shows clashed for the first time this year on Saturday. The BBC1 contest drew an average audience of 8.4 million for its first programme, narrowly ahead of the 8.3 million (including viewers of the +1 catch-up channel) who watched the hour-long edition of its ITV rival.
The opening programme – where this year's 15 celebrities were introduced to the public with their professional partners – was up 400,000 on the first show of last year. X Factor had suffered a drop from its first programme of 2013 the previous week, which pulled in 9.2 million. It was also down on the second Saturday of the 2012 series – 400,000 fewer viewers tuned in on Saturday.
Bookies had put Strictly as the favourite to pull in the bigger audience. Charlotte Moore, the controller of BBC1, said she was pleased with the launch figures: "Strictly is back. A brilliant show launched the new series with Sir Bruce, Tess and the judges all on top form."