19 Million Tune in for Britain’s Got Talent

LONDON: The finale of Britain’s Got Talent was the most watched program, excluding sports, on ITV1 since 2003, drawing in 17.3 million viewers and a 68-percent share, with a ratings peak at 19.2 million viewers.

The results show attracted the largest U.K. audience on any channel since June 2004, when 18.2 million viewers watched England vs. Croatia on BBC One. For ITV1, the talent competition was the most watched non-sports program since 19.4 million tuned in for Coronation Street in 2003 when mass murderer Richard Hillman drowned after killing several characters in the long-running soap.

The average audience for the Britain’s Got Talent final was 17.3 million viewers, compared to an average of 13.1 million viewers for last year’s final, which was won by break-dancer George Sampson. Diversity, an 11-member dance troop from Essex, took 24.9 percent of the public vote, above Scottish singer Susan Boyle’s 20.2 percent share. Saxophonist Julian Smith, who came in third place, gained 16.4 percent of the vote.

Diversity will now perform in front of the Queen at The Royal Variety Performance in December.