X Factor wins ratings war

Strictly Come Dancing received millions of viewers less thanÂ…

12:52 21 September 2009

ITV's The X Factor triumphed in the ratings battle against the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing over the weekend.

A peak audience of 8.7 million tuned in to watch former Wimbledon tennis champ Martina Hingis get voted off Strictly, which aired from 7.25pm to 9.05pm on Saturday.

Meanwhile, The X Factor, which broadcasted from 8pm to 9.15pm, attracted a peak of 10.7 million viewers - a difference of two million viewers.

Recently, there have been repeated calls for the broadcaster to move Strictly back to its previous early evening slot, so that audiences can enjoy both shows without needing to choose.

Even Simon Cowell, creator of the reigning show The X Factor, has said it is wrong to force viewers to choose between two.

He stated: "If you look at it sensibly, these are the two most popular programmes on TV at the moment. I don't think there are any other shows that people are passionate about right now – and it's crazy that they are up against each other."

The BBC has come under fire also with accusations of being ageist on its judging panel after former choreographer Arlene Phillips, 66, was replaced with singer Alesha Dixon, 30.

Nearly 1,000 negative comments have been left about Dixon's first appearance on the show. The BBC, has however, said it was "delighted with Alesha's debut performance".

Mark Thompson, the Director General of the BBC, has so far refused to comment on changing the schedule.