X Factor opener watched by 11.1 million people!

The first episode of this year’s X Factor series was watched by 11.1 million people on Saturday night, a significant increase on last year’s figure of 9.9 million

The 90-minute opener, which featured the usual mix of genuine talent and deluded hopefuls, easily beat every other terrestrial rival.

At it’s peak, the ITV1 show was being watched by 11.4 million people, nearly 50% of the total Saturday night TV audience.

However, ITV failed to maintain its lead, losing more than 6.5m viewers as X Factor handed over to game show Magic Numbers.