Simon Cowell talent show's mixed fortunes continue in its last episode before it goes head to head with Strictly live shows
Saturday night's edition of ITV's The X Factor lost nearly a million viewers on the previous week, its last outing before it goes up against the first live edition of BBC1's Strictly Come Dancing.
The X Factor drew 8.8 million viewers, a 39.9% share between 8pm and 9pm on Saturday, down from 9.6 million (37%) for the previous week's edition.
It has been a mixed season for the 10th series of the Simon Cowell show to date, launching with 9.2 million viewers at the end of August before dipping to 8.3 million – up against the Strictly Come Dancing launch show – and bouncing back to 9.6 million last week.
BBC1 still had something to offer Strictly fans with When Miranda Met Bruce, in which host Bruce Forsyth was interviewed by Miranda Hart. It was watched by 4.4 million viewers, a 19.6% share, between 7.30pm and 8.40pm.
The X Factor was followed by ITV's revival of Through the Keyhole, watched by 4.5 million viewers (22.1%) between 9pm and 10pm.
Old ones are the best – on 2 and 5
Only one of BBC2's top five shows was not a repeat (topped by Dad's Army, with 1.4 million viewers), and that was a film – the terrestrial premiere of the The Awakening, starring Dominic West and Rebecca Hall, in second place with 1 million viewers between 9.30pm and 11.15pm.
The BBC's second channel, with a 4.5% share of the audience across the day, was beaten by Channel 5, with a 4.8% share, and Channel 4, with 6.1%.
Channel 5, like BBC2, also looked back to the past; its most-watched show was 1963 film The Great Escape, with 1.17 million viewers, a 6.3% share, between 5.50pm and 9pm. And to think, it's not even Christmas.
All ratings are Barb overnight figures, including live, +1 (except for BBC channels) and same day timeshifted (recorded) viewing, but excluding on demand, or other – unless otherwise stated. Figures for BBC1, BBC2, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 generally include ratings for their HD simulcast services, unless otherwise stated
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