UK TV Ratings: 'Gladiators' returns to BBC with a bang as reboot makes short work of ITV's 'The Masked Singer'

Gladiators She returned with a bang to British television screens on Saturday and made things easier for ITV The Masked Singer.

In the latest reboot for UK television, the show which pits the audience against the wrestlers was watched by more than 6 million viewers, with a 38% share, easily becoming the BBC's most watched new program of the year and topping the stations. Weekend ratings chart.

The hour-long programme, directed by Bradley Walsh and his son Barney and broadcast from 5.50pm GMT (9.50am PT), peaked at 6.3 million, easily beating ITV. masked singer, The series, now in its fifth season, was watched by 3.7 million people as of 7pm GMT.

Ratings will be particularly disappointing for ITV because of this Gladiators It aired on the channel for eight years and 13 seasons in the 1990s, establishing it as a wrestling icon. It was briefly rerun by Sky One in the late 2000s, but only ran for two more seasons, although the BBC announced last year that it would bring it back to fanfare. The show sees contestants battle one of the resident wrestlers in physically demanding events, with the goal of the contestant accumulating points in the final event, The Eliminator.

Gladiators The most successful reboot of television in the UK, and easily the best Survivor And Big brother on the BBC and ITV respectively at the end of last year.

These ratings should make happy reading for BBC bosses, with ITV receiving all the praise last week for its success. Mr. Bates v. mail, ITV said at the weekend that it was the biggest new drama launch in more than a decade. Downton Abbey. The series, which brought the Post Office scandal to the front of the British news agenda, has become the BBC's most-watched new series across all channels. protection ITV said in 2018.