The Coronation topped the list while popular reality shows such as The Great British Bake Off and Strictly Come Dancing also featured in the top 10.

By Patrick Cremona

Published: Tuesday, 19 December 2023 at 11:12 AM


The final season of the hit BBC One crime drama Happy Valley and the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool are among the 10 most-watched TV events of 2023, it has been revealed.

The two shows came second and third respectively in the list – beaten only by coverage of the Coronation of the King and Queen Camilla, which was watched by 12.8 million people around the UK.

Meanwhile, long-running reality shows The Great British Bake Off, I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! and Strictly Come Dancing all featured in the top 10, coming in fourth, fifth and seventh place respectively.

 

There was also space for two different nature documentary series from Sir David Attenborough, with both Planet Earth III and Wild Isle making it into the list, while drama shows Death in Paradise and Unforgotten rounded out the rankings.

In total, seven out of the 10 shows to make the list were from the BBC, with two from ITV and one from Channel 4.

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Speaking about the results, the BBC’s chief content officer Charlotte Moore said, “Only the BBC can offer such scale, distinctiveness and ambition. Our range of world-class programmes is unrivalled, we’ve delivered value to audiences and they’ve chosen the BBC in every genre.”

She added: “We are facing tough financial challenges, and while we are not unique in this, what’s impressive is that despite all the millions being spent on global platforms, we’ve had an extraordinary year creatively.”