Beeb gets Yorkshire drubbing
Dales beats Enders by 2m
Ratings winner ... Fiona Wade as Priya Sharma
ITV/Rex Features
EMMERDALE trounced stricken EastEnders as the soaps went head to head on Tuesday night.
EastEnders was watched by a peak audience of just 5.2million while an hour-long special of Emmerdale, whose stars include Fiona Wade as Priya Sharma stormed ahead with 2.3million more at 7.5million.It was EastEnders’ lowest ratings figure so far in 2013 and comes just over a year after executive producer Lorraine Newman took over from Bryan Kirkwood — who quit amid declining ratings.
Bosses had celebrated after the BBC1 show won a Best Soap Bafta on Sunday.
But despite critical acclaim the soap is bleeding viewers — it was attracting 10million-plus a couple of years ago.
On Monday ITV’s Corrie pulled in 9million viewers and EastEnders 7.5million.
Despite criticism over their storylines, EastEnders bosses blamed Tuesday’s poor figures on ITV, accusing them of using dirty tricks by overlapping schedules. An insider said: “A lot of soap fans like watching EastEnders, Corrie and Emmerdale, but if Emmerdale starts at 7pm and is on for an hour it’s unlikely viewers will switch over halfway through for EastEnders.”
A spokesman said viewers miss out when the soap audience is split, adding the show “regularly attracts a consolidated audience of 9million”.
One ace up the show’s sleeve could be the return of Michael French who is in talks to reprise his role as David Wicks.
Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/soaps/4929230/Emmerdale-trumps-EastEnders-by-2m-in-soap-ratings-war.html#ixzz2TRrOWUr3