Celia Imrie fans were out in force in 2025.
The most-watched British shows of 2025 have been unveiled, and it was a big year for fans of The Traitors, Claudia Winkleman and Celia Imrie.
Deadline has reported that the ninth and final episode of The Celebrity Traitors was easily the most watched show of the year, being watched by an enormous 15.4 million viewers, according to 28-day viewing figures published by Barb.
Imrie, who was a Faithful in that series, made the list of the most-watched shows of the year twice, as she also starred in Netflix film The Thursday Murder Club, which came in 6th with 10 million viewers over the 28-day period.
Other big hitters on the chart include the New Year’s Eve Fireworks in second, with 13.3 million viewers, Adolescence episode 1 in third, with 13.2 million and the first episode of last year's civilian Traitors series, which came in fourth with 10.8 million viewers.
I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! proved its continued popularity in its 25th season, with its first episode coming in fifth with 10.6 million viewers, while the first episode of The Great British Bake Off season 16 came in seventh with 8.72 million viewers.
Rounding out the top 10 were Gavin & Stacey documentary A Fond Farewell, which came in eighth with 8.7 million viewers, the Race Across The World season 5 premiere, which came in ninth with 8.3 million viewers, and the first episode of Unforgotten season 6, which came in 10th with 8.1 million viewers.
It should be noted that 28-day viewing figures are not yet available for the full year, and won't be until we near the end of January.
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The current civilian series of The Traitors has already started 2026 with a bang, as the premiere episode was watched by an average of 6.4 million overnight viewers – substantially higher than the season 3 premiere's overnight viewership.
Meanwhile, The Night Manager season 2, another big new 2026 arrival for BBC One, saw it first episode being watched by an average of 3.3 million viewers overnight.
Visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
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