Bodyguard ratings continue to increase with episode 5 reaching new overnight high

An average of eight million people tuning in

Jack Shepherd
Monday 17 September 2018 16:45 BST
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Bodyguard star Keeley Hawes has said Amber Rudd was an inspiration with her research for the role of Julia Montague
Bodyguard star Keeley Hawes has said Amber Rudd was an inspiration with her research for the role of Julia Montague

With the UK populace desperate to avoid Bodyguard spoilers, more and more people are watching episodes as they air rather than on catch up.

Sunday night’s episode (16 September) drew an additional million viewers compared to the week before, an average of eight million people tuning in (38.2% audience share), peaking at 8.3 million.

Last week’s episode of the Richard Madden and Keeley Hawes-starring drama peaked with 7.2 million viewers, an increase on the previous week’s average audience of 6.6 million.

Bodyguard has been hailed as the biggest new drama on British television in more than a decade, achieving consolidated viewing figures (which includes recordings) of 10.4 million for its first episode.

The series, written by Line Of Duty‘s Jed Mercurio, sees Madden playing protection officer David Budd, who is assigned to controversial Home Secretary Julia Montague (Hawes).

Viewers were left stunned earlier in the series when Montague died after being targeted by a bomb during a speech, leaving a troubled Budd to try to find her killer.

Following Sunday’s episode, some fans now believe that Montague may be alive, due to her having a small, private funeral.

Some viewers also suggested that Montague may still be alive because Budd discovers a tablet containing sensitive information hidden behind a picture at her apartment.

Fans on Twitter said that it implied Montague had left it for him – and that she was therefore alive.

The finale of Bodyguard airs on Sunday September 23.

Additional reporting by agencies.

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