X Factor: New series has lowest launch ratings since show began

It's all been part of a steady decline for the singing competition, which has seen ITV scale back on live shows and auditions

The newest The X Factor series has started off on a very poor foot.

Its first episode ended up with the lowest launch show ratings since it began back in 2004, managing an average of 6 million viewers; it's been part of a steady decline for the series, with last year's launch episode managing 6.8 million viewers, itself a 10-year low for the show.

That said, it was still the most watched show of the night with a 32% audience share, and numbers are also likely to increase once consolidated figures are released, the BBC reports.

Sunday night's episode also boasted a slight rise in viewing figures, attracting 6.5 million viewers versus last year's 6.3 million viewers; again, it was the most watched show of the night with a 29% audience share.

ITV's struggle with the singing competition has seen it pull back on its scale with fewer live shows and a return to the intimate room setting for auditions, after last year's finale was beaten by Planet Earth II in the ratings game, with 9.5 million viewers versus The X Factor's 7 million viewers.

Furthermore, the show has been consistently plagued of late with various fixing scandals, after several of those who competed and auditioned were revealed to be professional singers.

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