Ratings: EastEnders gives BBC One Christmas Eve lead...

BBC One led the Christmas Eve television ratings with EastEnders and Last Tango in Halifax.



An average of 7.46 million (31.5%) tuned in at 7.30pm to witness Janine fret over David's demand of £250,000 in return for his silence.

4.55 million (19.6%) stayed with the channel from 8pm for the latest instalment of Holby City, as Edward was forced to confess about Mary-Claire.

The concluding episode of Last Tango in Halifax attracted 5.64 million (23.9%) at 9pm, followed by 4.75 million (22.5%) who tuned into the Christmas special of Not Going Out.

Movies also drew high ratings, including Toy Story 2 which gave the channel 3.99 million (26.8%) from 3.45pm to 5:15pm.

Meanwhile the festive short Shrek The Halls was watched by 4.52 million (26.1%) and 4.79 million watched Finding Nemo (23%) at 5.55pm.

Emmerdale was the most watched programme on ITV's Christmas Eve schedule, as 5.68 million (25.4%) tuned in to see Declan's continued demise. A further 175k (0.8%) watched on +1.

A new Christmas-themed episode of Midsomer Murders gave the channel 3.66 million viewers at 8pm (15.7%) with an extra 401.3k (1.8%) watching an hour later.

The Nation's Favourite Christmas Song also served ITV well, with an average audience of 2.62 million (13.8%) at 5.15pm (+1: 137.8k, 1.2%).

2.89 million (12.2%) joined the channel at 7.30pm for some festive laughs from You've Been Framed (+1: 185.4k, 0.8%), while 1.88 million (10%) watched Christmas Carols on ITV from 10.15pm (+1: 130.9k, 0.7%).

Elsewhere, a repeat of Victoria Wood's Mid-life Christmas was the most watched programme for the night on BBC Two, pulling in 2.5 million (10.7%) from 8pm.

2.07 million (9.8%) caught Carols From King's at 6:15pm, followed by The Perfect Morecambe and Wise Christmas special, which gave the channel 2.37 million (10%) between 7.30pm to 8pm.

A festive edition of QI XL also gave BBC Two 1.92 million at 9pm (8.1%), while Mel Smith: I've Sort of Done Things took in 1.92 million (8.1%).

Channel 4's schedule led with a repeat of festive favourite The Snowman and the Snowdog, which aired to 1.97 million (8.3%) at 7:30pm, adding an extra 312.8k (1.3%) on +1.

Big Fat Gypsy Christmas entertained 1.38 million from 8.05pm till 9pm, giving the channel a 5.9% share of the audience (+1: 298.9k, 1.3%).

On Channel 5, the 1951 movie Scrooge pulled in an average of 789.5k (4.1%) with an extra 52.5k (0.4%) catching the showing an hour later on +1.

A special episode of Eddie Stobart: 12 Day of Christmas also gained 724.5k (3.1%) for an hour from 8pm (+1: 60.5k, 0.3%), while a run down of the Greatest Ever Christmas Movies was watched by 747.6k (4%) (+1: 52.5k, 0.4%).

On the multichannels, Raiders of the Lost Ark gave BBC Three 1.58 million (6.8%) at 8pm, while a 1978 repeat of Top of The Pops with Noel Edmonds was watched by 675.4k (2.9%) on BBC Four.