Strictly Come Dancing 2018 launch show trumps X Factor in the ratings

More 16 to 34-year-olds watched the ITV show

Strictly Come Dancing triumphed over The X Factor on Saturday night, launching to 8.1 million viewers.

Overnight ratings show that the programme’s 16th series took a 40.9% audience share, peaking at 8.5 million viewers, making it the most watched TV show of the day.

While beating The X Factor – which drew an average of 4.6 million viewers (24% share), peaking at 5.6 million – the BBC’s flagship entertainment show dipped in the ratings compared with last year.

The 2017 series launch show drew an average of 8.8 million viewers and peaked at 9.5 million viewers. The X Factor was also the most-watched show of the evening for 16 to 34-year-olds, with a 39% share of the viewing for the age category.

Strictly saw this year's celebrity contestants learn who their professional dancer partners will be during the BBC’s flagship entertainment series.

Fashion guru and TV presenter Susannah Constantine was partnered with Anton Du Beke on the launch show which featured music performances from Nile Rodgers and Chic, singer Craig David and rapper Stefflon Don.

The X Factor's second week was a dip on the first. Last week, 5.7 million viewers tuned in to watch the singing competition’s new judging panel, featuring Robbie Williams and Ayda Williams, Louis Tomlinson and Simon Cowell, with a peak of 6.3 million.

Strictly Come Dancing and The X Factor did not directly compete against each other on Saturday, with Strictly starting at 7.35pm and The X Factor beginning at 8.30pm. There was, however, a 30-minute period of overlap.

The figures for both shows will likely to rise when the official consolidated ratings are published. These will include viewers who recorded the shows and watched them up to seven days afterwards on catch-up.

Additional reporting by agencies.