Downton Abbey finale beats Strictly and EastEnders in Christmas Day ratings battle
THE final ever episode of Downton Abbey triumphed in the battle of the Christmas Day ratings, after 6.6 million tuned in to wish a fond farewell to the Crawleys.
Downton Abbey won the ratings battle on Christmas Day
With a peak audience of 7.1 million, the two-hour long episode of the period drama pipped the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special last night, which was won by Harry Judd.
However, the glitzy dancing competition was the BBC's most watched show of the day with a peak of seven million and an average of 6.5 million.
ITV's Downton went head-to-head with EastEnders in the 8.45pm slot, but even a shock car crash involving the Mitchell and Beale families only captured the attention of 5.7 million fans.
In its swansong episode, fans watched as Lady Edith finally got her happy ending with Bertie Pelham, Lady Mary discovered she was pregnant and Anna and Mr Bates welcomed their first child - with no tragic deaths to break the reverie.
Lady Edith's wedding was watched by a peak of 7.1 million on ITV
The instalment was the last ever episode of the hit period drama
"This is the first time a Downton Christmas special has topped the ratings in the UK on Christmas Day," the channel said.
It was a drop from the 8.8 million who tuned in for the penultimate episode of the series back in November and failed to replicate the figures from the first-ever Downton Christmas episode in 2011, when it pulled in a consolidated audience of 12.1 million.
The real ratings winner was the Queen, whose 3pm broadcast had the biggest overall figures for the day, drawing 6.1 million on the BBC and 1.1 million on ITV.
The Strictly special attracted an average of 6.5 million viewers
Downton Abbey- The Final Episode - Christmas Day - ITV
The BBC claimed eight of the 10 most watched Christmas shows
Meanwhile, the BBC claimed eight of the 10 most watched Christmas shows, with Mrs Brown's Boys and Stick Man drawing in an average of 6.4 million, and Doctor Who and Call the Midwife pulling in an audience of 5.8 million each.
Coronation Street became the most-watched soap on Christmas Day as it pulled in an average of 5.9 million, including on +1 services, while Emmerdale got 4.4 million.
BBC One controller Charlotte Moore said: "There are many more television treats for viewers to enjoy on BBC One over the rest of the festive season including Billionaire Boy, The Great Barrier Reef, Still Open All Hours, David Beckham special, And Then There Were None, Dickensian and Sherlock."
Stick Man helped the broadcaster pull in the viewers