New BBC talent show The Voice UK launched with impressive ratings last night.
BBC One's new singing contest averaged 8.43m (37.6%) between 7pm and 8.20pm, peaking with 9.6m (42.3%) at 7.45pm.
Notably, The Voice has premiered with a much higher audience than The X Factor in 2004 and Britain's Got Talent in 2007.
Britain's Got Talent kicked off its sixth series with 9.43m (39.2%) from 8pm, adding 567k (2.5%) on ITV1 +1 for Simon Cowell's return to the judging panel.
The ITV talent show peaked with 10.93m (44.9%) as the first auditions show came to a close.
During the pair's much-anticipated 20-minute clash between 8pm and 8.20pm, The Voice UK easily came out on top with 8.9m (36.2%) against Got Talent's 6.71m (27.3%).
Moved to a later slot to make way for Talent, Take Me Out held up well with a decent 4.48m (20.8%) at 9.20pm (+1: 227k/1.4%), then The Jonathan Ross Show ended with 2.75m (16.8%).
Harry Hill's TV Burp went out with a whimper, drawing 3.37m (15.1%) for its 'last ever' edition at 7.30pm (+1: 329k/1.4%), prior to which 3.64m (18.6%) watched All Star Family Fortunes.
Meanwhile, BBC One's Total Wipeout returned with 3.13m (18.1%) at 6pm. In It To Win It (4.2m/17.6%) and Casualty (4.71m/21%) aired later on.
In an extremely close race, BBC One got the upper hand in primetime with 25.9% over ITV1's 25.8% (+1: 1.4%).
Davina McCall's Million Pound Drop Live started a new run with 1.28m (6.4%) from 9.20pm, but Channel 4 still could not overtake 5 as CSI: NY gave a solid 1.43m (7%) in the 10pm hour.
That meant Channel 5 claimed third place with 4.5% (+1: 0.2%), ahead of Channel 4's 4.1% (+1: 0.6%) and BBC Two's 4%.
ITV2's Britain's Got More Talent opened with a respectable 663k (3.1%), adding 156k (0.9%) on timeshift, while Take Me Out: The Gossip had 456k (2.6%).
