Appetite for X Factor diminishing as Strictly Come Dancing adds a million viewers

THE X Factor’s first live show of the series was 1.7 million viewers down on last year – while Strictly Come Dancing was more than a million up, overnight figures show.

The ongoing ratings woes will be an unwanted present for X Factor boss Simon Cowell, who celebrated his 53rd birthday
yesterday.

Although X Factor proved a bigger draw than arch rival Strictly, its 9.2 million average audience was down markedly on the first show of the live stages in 2011, which pulled in
10.9m.

Strictly, which screened its first live Saturday night show last night, enjoyed an audience of 8.7 million, compared with the 7.5m who tuned in for the equivalent show last year.

X Factor bosses will be comforted that the show was still the most watched show on British television on Saturday night.

However, its share of viewers was well down on 2011, accounting for an average 40 per cent of the available audience, while last year it dragged in 49 per cent.

Its peak audience was well down, too, with 12.7m for the first live show last year, but 10.3m last night.

Last year, the X Factor started out on top but Strictly began to race ahead as the competition went on, although the ITV1 show had won out again by the final stages.