Big Telly Switch Off For Brits

Brit Awards this year slumped to their worst-ever TV ratings.

Just 4.5million viewers tuned into ITV1's coverage of the annual music bash - less than half the audience from 10 years ago. Then, 11.1million watched as Take That and Oasis picked up gongs - even though Jarvis Cocker's infamous protest against Michael Jackson was cut from the show. A music industry insider said: "This is a hammer blow. Everyone is scratching their heads and asking what went wrong."

Ricky Wilson's Kaiser Chiefs won three awards with James Blunt and Coldplay collecting two each. Ratings began promisingly at 8pm with 5.3million but dipped to a poor 4.5million. They dramatically dropped to 2.9million in the last 15 minutes a t 10.15 pm when Paul Weller collected his lifetime achievement award.

An ITV spokeswoman said: "In the multi-channel environment of today's market, we are delighted the Brit Awards got a third of the 16-to-34 audience."

The Brit Awards was beaten by all of BBC1's output. Its 8pm rival Seaside Rescue attracted 5.9million, although BBC1's audience dipped to 5.4million for Super Vets at 8.30pm. Hotel Babylon at 9pm got five million and the Ten O'Clock News had four million. A BBC insider said: "It just shows you what happens if you don't put variety in your schedule. Viewers simply turn over if they don't like a beached whale of a show."

The lowest TV audience for the Brit Awards was previously six million in 2004.

Source: dailyrecord.co.uk