Britain's Got Talent has returned as the most watched programme of the year so far.
The first episode of Series 13 of the ITV show drew the highest overnight audience of 2019 on Saturday.
The talent show peaked with a massive 9.7 million viewers – a 50 per cent share of viewing.
It drew an average of 8.3 million viewers (45 per cent share) putting it ahead of Line of Duty, which returned for its fifth series last Sunday.
Line of Duty drew an average audience of 7.8 million.
Flakefleet Primary School received the first golden buzzer of the series, with judge David Walliams sending the group straight to the semi-finals.
The cute group of five to 11 year-olds performed an energetic routine to Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now, dressed up in fancy dress and with enough props to make Strictly proud.
Other must-see performances included an impersonator of the Queen, ventriloquist Jimmy Tamley, terrifying one-woman magic act The Haunting and acrobatic duo The Vardanyan Brothers.
Last year's BGT final drew an average audience of 8.7 million, peaking at 10.6 million.
The show also marked a special moment in Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly’s career as they reunited for the first time in a year following McPartlin’s brief hiatus from TV.
The star took a step back from his work commitments last year, including the BGT live week, to focus on his recovery from addiction.
