Gavin and Stacey Christmas special becomes most-watched TV episode of decade

No TV show has been watched by more viewers at time of broadcast since 2008

The return of Gavin & Stacey has broken a huge British television record.

James Corden and Ruth Jones reunited the beloved sitcom’s cast for a brand new Christmas special just under 10 years after it was last broadcast.

The special was watched by a total of 11.6m viewers, which makes it not just the most-watched programme on Christmas Day this year, but the most-watched television episode – across all channels – since 2008.

The BBC dominated the Christmas ratings, with number two going to the broadcast of the Queen’s annual speech (6.4m) and 5.5m viewers making Strictly Come Dancing’s festive special the third most-watched broadcast of the day.

EastEnders beat Coronation Street in the battle of the soaps (5.5m compared to the ITV show’s 4.5m), while the day's most-watched film was Pixar sequel Finding Dory.

Mrs Brown’s Boys – last year’s most-watched show – landed in seventh place with 4.6m, while Call the Midwife finished just ahead with 5.2m.

The Gavin & Stacey Christmas special has come under fire for failing to remove a slur from Christmas song “The Fairytale of New York”.

Controversy has rumbled on for years over the song’s use of the word, which is sung by Kirsty MacColl in her duet with The Pogues frontman Shane McGowan.

Read our review of the special here.