Sherlock beats the Queen's speech in festive TV ratings
More than eight million people tuned in for The Six Thatchers – but one broadcast was more of a draw for viewers
Sherlock was the second most-watched show over the festive period, but the one broadcast that topped the list wasn’t the Queen’s speech.
The New Year’s Eve Fireworks on BBC1 was watched by 11.6 million people, with 8.1 million tuning in for Sherlock’s The Six Thatchers on 1st January and 7.7 million watching the Queen’s Christmas message on 25th December according to overnight figures.
The viewing figures for Sherlock were down slightly on last year’s episode, with The Abominable Bride being watched by 8.4 million when it aired on New Year's Day 2016.
Meanwhile, the battle for Christmas Day TV ratings was won by Strictly Come Dancing’s festive special, which drew more than 7.2 million viewers.
Melvin Odoom’s win was followed by The Great Christmas Bake Off with 6.3 million; Mrs Brown’s Boys came in with 6.13 million, followed by Call the Midwife with 6.06 million.
Overall, eight of the top 10 most-watched programmes on Christmas Day aired on the BBC, with only Coronation Street and Emmerdale on ITV making the list at fourth and ninth place respectively.
