Great British Bake Off dominates in TV ratings battle

BBC1 is on course for a decisive victory over ITV in the battle for the year's biggest ratings, thanks to hit series such as The Great British Bake Off, Planet Earth II and Strictly Come Dancing.
By The Newsroom
Published 21st Dec 2016, 09:54 BST
Updated 29th Dec 2016, 14:12 BST
Mary Berry shaking hands with Candice Brown, who was crowned champion of this year's Great British Bake Off. Pic: Mark Bourdillon/BBC/PA Wire.Mary Berry shaking hands with Candice Brown, who was crowned champion of this year's Great British Bake Off. Pic: Mark Bourdillon/BBC/PA Wire.
Mary Berry shaking hands with Candice Brown, who was crowned champion of this year's Great British Bake Off. Pic: Mark Bourdillon/BBC/PA Wire.

More than three-quarters of the top 40 most-watched programmes so far in 2016 were broadcast by BBC1.

This includes the Bake Off final, which is at No 1 in the chart with 16 million viewers.

Joanne Clifton and Ore Oduba with the glitterball trophy after they won the final of the BBC1 show Strictly Come Dancing, which has 13 entries in the 40 most-watched TV programmes of 2016. Pic: Guy Levy/BBC/PA Wire.Joanne Clifton and Ore Oduba with the glitterball trophy after they won the final of the BBC1 show Strictly Come Dancing, which has 13 entries in the 40 most-watched TV programmes of 2016. Pic: Guy Levy/BBC/PA Wire.
Joanne Clifton and Ore Oduba with the glitterball trophy after they won the final of the BBC1 show Strictly Come Dancing, which has 13 entries in the 40 most-watched TV programmes of 2016. Pic: Guy Levy/BBC/PA Wire.
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A total of 31 of the top 40 were broadcast by BBC1, and just nine on ITV. Last year the split was 28 for BBC1 and 12 for ITV.

The chart has been compiled from data produced by the Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (Barb).

Every episode of this year's The Great British Bake Off is on the list, with nine inside the top 10.

All but one episode of the blockbuster natural history series Planet Earth II is in the top 40, with the highest episode coming eighth in the chart with 13.1 million viewers.

Joanne Clifton and Ore Oduba with the glitterball trophy after they won the final of the BBC1 show Strictly Come Dancing, which has 13 entries in the 40 most-watched TV programmes of 2016. Pic: Guy Levy/BBC/PA Wire.Joanne Clifton and Ore Oduba with the glitterball trophy after they won the final of the BBC1 show Strictly Come Dancing, which has 13 entries in the 40 most-watched TV programmes of 2016. Pic: Guy Levy/BBC/PA Wire.
Joanne Clifton and Ore Oduba with the glitterball trophy after they won the final of the BBC1 show Strictly Come Dancing, which has 13 entries in the 40 most-watched TV programmes of 2016. Pic: Guy Levy/BBC/PA Wire.
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BBC1's coverage of the Euro 2016 final also makes the list, as does the one-off episode of Sherlock shown on New Year's Day.

But it is Strictly Come Dancing that dominates the chart, appearing a total of 13 times.

ITV's highest entry is the first episode of this year's series of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, which is at number 12 with 12.7 million viewers.

Britain's Got Talent appears five times in the chart - but for the second year in a row The X Factor has failed to make the top 40.

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Here is the top 40 highest-rated TV programmes of 2016 so far.

1. The Great British Bake Off (BBC1, October 26): 15.90m

2. The Great British Bake Off (BBC1, August 24): 13.58m

3. The Great British Bake Off (BBC1, August 31): 13.45m

= The Great British Bake Off (BBC1, October 5): 13.45m

5. The Great British Bake Off (BBC1, October 19): 13.44m

6. The Great British Bake Off (BBC1, September 14): 13.29m

7. The Great British Bake Off (BBC1, October 12): 13.26m

8. Planet Earth II (BBC1, November 13): 13.14m

9. The Great British Bake Off (BBC1, September 28): 13.13m

10. The Great British Bake Off (BBC1, September 21): 13.12m

11. The Great British Bake Off (BBC1, September 7): 13.08m

12. I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! (ITV, November 13): 12.66m

13. Britain's Got Talent (ITV, April 16): 12.46m

14. Britain's Got Talent (ITV, April 23): 12.32m

15. Euro 2016: Portugal v France (BBC1, July 10): 12.27m

16. Planet Earth II (BBC1, November 6): 12.26m

17. Strictly Come Dancing (BBC1, November 19): 12.24m

18. I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! (ITV, December 4): 11.96m

19. Strictly Come Dancing (BBC1, December 3): 11.92m

20. Euro 2016: Wales v Belgium post-match (BBC1, July 1): 11.89m

21. Planet Earth II (BBC1, November 27): 11.88m

22. Britain's Got Talent (ITV, April 30): 11.87m

23. Strictly Come Dancing (BBC1, November 26): 11.65m

24. Sherlock (BBC1, January 1): 11.64m

25. Planet Earth II (BBC1, November 20): 11.60m

26. Britain's Got Talent (ITV: April 9): 11.59m

27. Planet Earth II (BBC1, December 4): 11.54m

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28. Strictly Come Dancing: the results (BBC1, December 11): 11.46m

29. Strictly Come Dancing (BBC1, November 5): 11.43m

30. Euro 2016: England v Iceland (ITV, June 27): 11.42m

31. I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! (ITV, November 14): 11.40m

32. Strictly Come Dancing: the results (BBC1, December 4): 11.39m

33. Strictly Come Dancing: the results (BBC1, November 13): 11.37m

34. Britain's Got Talent (ITV, May 7): 11.35m

35. Strictly Come Dancing (BBC1, December 10): 11.34m

36. Strictly Come Dancing (BBC1, November 12): 11.31m

37. Strictly Come Dancing (BBC1, October 29): 11.22m

38. Strictly Come Dancing (BBC1, October 15): 11.21m

= Strictly Come Dancing (BBC1, October 22): 11.21m

40. Strictly Come Dancing: the results (BBC1: November 27) 11.11m

* All data compiled from the Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (Barb)

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