The X Factor's first live show draws nearly 13.5m

The first live edition of this year's The X Factor peaked with nearly 13.5 million viewers, giving ITV1 more than 50% of the total television audience on Saturday 9 October. Saturday's show averaged 12.2 million viewers and a 48.5% share of the audience, with a peak of 13.5 million and a 51.7% between 8.15pm and 8.30pm. The UK public shows no signs of tiring of The X Factor, which is now in its seventh series, with this year's average viewing of the first live edition up from the 11.1 million who tuned in last year. BBC1's Merlin averaged 5.4 million viewers and a 21.1% share between 7.40pm and 8.25pm, while the National Lottery: In It To Win It, averaged 4 million and 16% between 8.25pm and 9.20pm. On ITV1, Harry Hill's TV Burp returned for the first of an eight-part new series with 5.7 million viewers, a 24.2% share, between 7.10pm and 7.40pm. It lost out to BBC1's Strictly Come Dancing, which saw Goldie become the first celebrity to leave the show, which averaged 8.636 million. Strictly managed a 40.3% share across nearly two hours between 5.45pm and 7.40pm. Five main terrestrial analogue networks BBC1, BBC2, ITV1, Channel 4, Channel 5 (available in all UK homes with TV, except Channel 5, which reaches about 95%) BBC1 9.20pm: Casualty – 4 million/15.8% BBC2 6.55pm: Games Today – 871,000/3.7% ITV1/ITV1 HD 10.10pm: Piers Morgan's Life Stories (new series) – 4.426 million/23% Channel 4 8.15pm: Headhunters of World War II – 792,000/C4 +1 - 70,000/0.3% Channel 5 10.10pm - CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - 956,000/4.9% Freeview/digital terrestrial TV free-to-air networks Available in 23.4m UK homes – 91.4% of total – as of 31/12/09. Source: Ofcom digital progress report, Q4 2009 ITV2 10.10pm: The Xtra Factor – 917,000/5.1% More4 10.10pm: Goering: the Unseen Footage (new) – 148,000/1.3% BBC4 9pm: BBC4 World Cinema Awards – 123,000/0.5% All ratings are Barb overnight figures, including live and same day timeshifted (recorded) viewing, but excluding on demand, HD, +1 or other – unless otherwise stated • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email [email protected] or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. • If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".