TV ratings: The X Factor slips from record peak – but stays well on top

The second episode of the new series of The X Factor lost more than a million viewers from its record-breaking season return but still swept all opposition before it on Saturday 28 August. Simon Cowell's talent show, which has been hit by a row over Auto-Tune technology , averaged 9.781 million viewers, a 43.5% share of the audience, between 7.30pm and 8.45pm, of whom an average of 439,000 were watching on ITV1 HD and the rest on ITV1. The final of BBC1's Tonight's the Night, hosted by John Barrowman, had just 2.312 million viewers, a 10.1% share, between 7.50pm and 8.40pm. Channel 5's cricket highlights programme, Cricket on Five, averaged 1.034 million, a 5% share between 7.15pm and 8pm, boosted by the record-breaking performance of England's Jonathan Trott and Stuart Broad. A 70th anniversary showing for the 1969 film Battle of Britain on Channel 4 averaged 1.631 million viewers, an 8% share, between 6.25pm and 9pm, with another 135,000 viewers on Channel 4 +1. BBC2 devoted much of its evening to the BBC Proms 2010, averaging 1.653 million viewers, 8.1% of the audience, between 6.45pm and 8.30pm. Five main terrestrial analogue networks BBC1, BBC2, ITV1, Channel 4, Channel Five (available in all UK homes with TV, except Channel 5, which reaches about 95%) BBC1 8.50pm: John Bishop's Britain - 3.267 million/14.9% BBC2 9pm: Have I Got A Bit More News For You - 2.237 million/10.2% ITV1/ITV1 HD 8.45pm: Magic Numbers - 3.257 million/14.9% Channel 4 9pm: Ultimate Big Brother - 2.207 million/10.3%, C4+1 - 308,000/1.7% Channel 5 9pm: CSI (rpt) - 1.548 million/7.2% Freeview/digital terrestrial TV free-to-air networks Available in 23.4m UK homes – 91.4% of total – as of 31/12/09. Source: Ofcom digital progress report, Q4 2009 ITV2 8.45pm: The Xtra Factor - 1.826 million/8.4% BBC3 9pm - Reading and Leeds Festivals: 268,000/1.3% All ratings are Barb overnight figures, including live and same day timeshifted (recorded) viewing, but excluding on demand, HD, +1 or other – unless otherwise stated • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email [email protected] or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. • If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".