TV ratings: Simon Cowell slightly more popular than a hospital visit

The star power of Simon Cowell helped the new run of Piers Morgan's ITV1 chatshow to more than 5 million viewers on Saturday 6 March. Piers Morgan's Life Stories began its third series with 5.6 million viewers, a 23.4% share of the audience, between 9pm and 10.15pm, according to unofficial overnight figures. It had the edge over BBC1's Casualty, which averaged 5.5 million viewers, a 22.9% share, between 9.20pm and 10.10pm. BBC1's new lottery show, The National Lottery: Who Dares Wins, began with 6 million viewers (25.1%) between 8.30pm and 9.20pm. It lost out when up against the second instalment of Ant & Dec's Push the Button on ITV1, which averaged 5.7 million (24.4%) between 8pm and 9pm. But the Ant and Dec gameshow was down nearly a million viewers from the 6.6 million (26.7%) it opened with last week . Ant and Dec also lost out to the last 30 minutes of BBC1's Let's Dance for Sport Relief, which had 7 million viewers (30.3%) between 7.15pm and 8.30pm. ITV1's coverage of the FA Cup quarter final between Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur averaged 3.5 million (18.4%) between 5pm and 7.30pm. Live coverage of the match itself, which kicked off at 5.20pm and ended 0-0, averaged 3.8 million, peaking with 4.5 million between 7pm and 7.15pm. The football beat BBC1's Hole in the Wall, which had 2.6 million (14.1%) between 5.45pm and 6.15pm, but lost out to Total Wipeout, with 4.5 million (21.5%) between 6.15pm and 7.15pm. Earlier, ITV1's coverage of Portsmouth's 2-0 FA Cup win over Birmingham averaged 2.2 million (24%) between 12pm and 2.30pm. Live match coverage, which kicked off at 12.30pm, averaged 2.6 million. The Channel 4 documentary The End of the Line, based on Charles Clover's book about the impact of sea fishing, averaged 800,000 viewers (3.4%) between 7.15pm and 9pm, with another 26,000 watching on Channel 4 +1. It was up against BBC2's evening of programmes themed around Las Vegas, including Bette Midler in Concert: Diva Las Vegas, which had 1.2 million viewers (5.5%) between 7pm and 8pm, and the documentary A Kick in the Head - The Lure of Las Vegas, which averaged 1.5 million viewers (6.6%). The themed night's opening show, fronted by Bruce Forsyth, Bruce on Vegas, had 1.4 million viewers (7.1%) between 6pm and 7pm. Another showing for Braveheart on Channel 4 had 1.2 million viewers (7%) between 9pm and 1.10pm, with another 178,000 on Channel 4+1. Channel Five's CSI: NY had 1.9 million (8%) between 9pm and 10pm, while Law & Order attracted 1.3 million (6.5%) between 10pm and 11pm. • 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".