The Christmas Day finale of Gavin and Stacey is one of the most watched BBC shows in recent history, attracting 18.2 million viewers over a seven-day period.
The huge audience, based on a week of viewing on television as well as iPlayer, is believed to make it the highest-rated comedy for the Corporation in modern times.
Figures provided by Overnights.tv, which measures seven-day viewing since 2007, rank it fifth overall among the highest-rated programs on BBC One.
The episode, starring James Corden and Ruth Jones, is also believed to be the seventh most-watched show on the five major channels over seven days in this same period.
The Gavin & Stacey special was watched on Christmas Day itself by 12.3 million, but added almost six million to this figure throughout the week.
If news and sporting events are removed from the list, it would be BBC One’s top program in recent years.
According to the research, the most watched program in this period on the BBC channel was the closing ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games with 24.5 million.
The opening ceremony followed closely with 24.2 million.
The Christmas Day finale of Gavin & Stacey was one of the most watched shows in BBC history, attracting 18.2 million viewers.
The huge audience was based on a week of viewing on television and iPlayer.
According to the research, the most watched program in this period on the BBC channel was the closing ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games with 24.5 million, closely followed by the opening ceremony (pictured).
Gavin & Stacey were also defeated by Boris Johnson’s 2020 Covid lockdown declaration, which was watched by 18.8 million nationwide.
Gavin & Stacey was also beaten by the 20.3 million who watched the Euro 2012 quarter-final between England and Italy, and Boris Johnson’s 2020 lockdown statement, which was watched by 18.8 million.
The 2019 holiday episode of Gavin & Stacey attracted an audience of 17 million over seven days.
When the weekly viewing figures for the top five channels are analyzed using the same method, the only other programs to have eclipsed them are the England 2018 World Cup semi-final on ITV with 20.7 million and the final of Britain’s Got Talent in 2009, with 18.3 million. .
Wallace & Gromit’s recent Christmas outing, Vengeance Most Fowl, also scored a strong seven-day audience with 15.9 million viewers over seven days.