The final episode of Gavin & Stacey is the UK’s most-watched TV programme shown on Christmas Day in 23 years, new figures show.
Official ratings for the sitcom’s 90-minute farewell, which was the centrepiece of BBC One’s 2024 festive schedules, are 19.1 million.
This is the biggest audience for a Christmas Day broadcast on UK television since the episode of Only Fools & Horses on December 25 2001, which attracted 21.3 million viewers.
It also includes those who watched on tablets, PCs and smartphones.
The brand new Wallace & Gromit adventure Vengeance Most Fowl, which was also shown on BBC One on Christmas Day 2024, was not far behind, pulling in 16.3 million viewers.
The figures mean Gavin & Stacey and Wallace & Gromit have become the top two most-watched scripted programmes of the decade so far, pushing Line of Duty – which attracted 15.8 million for its finale in 2021 – into third place.
The biggest TV audience of the 2020s remains the broadcast by former prime minister Boris Johnson on March 23 2020 announcing the first Covid-19 lockdown, which was shown simultaneously on six TV channels and drew an average audience of 28.3 million.
Barb’s official seven-day ratings for Christmas Day 2024 show that nine of the top 10 were broadcast on BBC One:
– Gavin & Stacey (BBC One, 9pm) 19.1 million
– Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (BBC One, 6.10pm) 16.3 million
– Call the Midwife (BBC One, 8pm) 7.6 million
– Doctor Who (BBC One, 5.10pm) 5.9 million
– The King (BBC One, 3pm) 5.7 million
– EastEnders (BBC One, 10.35pm) 5.6 million
– EastEnders (BBC One, 7.30pm) 5.5 million
– Strictly Come Dancing (BBC One, 3.55pm) 5.4 million
– Tiddler (BBC One, 2.35pm) 4.7 million
– Coronation Street (ITV, 7pm) 4.4 million