King's speech ratings set record for viewers in the 21st Century
King Charles used his first festive address to pay tribute to his mother's long reign and reflect on the cost-of-living crisis.
More than 10 million people tuned in to The King's Speech on Christmas Day – a higher number than for any Royal festive message in the 21st century so far.
In total, 10.7 million viewers watched the address across a number of channels, as King Charles paid tribute to the reign of his mother Queen Elizabeth II and reflected on the continued impact of the cost-of-living crisis.
The message was broadcast simultaneously on several major channels. with BBC One, ITV1, ITV3, Sky News, and GB News all showing the address and BBC Two providing a signed version.
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It was the first time since the late 1990s that viewership had topped 10 million, with last year's address having been watched by an audience of just 8.96 million viewers.
Meanwhile, the figure was also almost double the total viewership for the second most-watched show on Christmas Day, with the Strictly Come Dancing special on BBC One managing 5.44 million viewers.
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BBC One also dominated the ratings more generally, with the next most-watched programmes including Michael McIntyre's Xmas Wheel (4.81 million viewers), Call The Midwife (4.49m), a showing of the 2019 Disney live-action Aladdin film (4.39m), and the Ghosts Christmas special (3.92m).
"Winning the Christmas Day ratings caps off an incredible centenary year of world-class content on the BBC," said Chief content officer Charlotte Moore. "In a time of so much competition and choice, the BBC continues to be the UK's entertainment destination on Christmas Day."
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