BBC1’s Children in Need drew its lowest audience in nine years, possibly due to an exodus of viewers to news channels as the Paris attacks unfolded.
Children in Need, which was without host Terry Wogan for the first time in its 35-year history due to ill health, drew an average of 7.7 million viewers for its main programme from 7.30pm to 10pm on Friday.
The annual appeal, which raised an on-the-night record of £37m, drew audience levels as high as 8.7 million in the run-up to 9pm, about the time news of the terrorist attacks in Paris began to emerge.
From 9pm to 10pm audience levels fell to levels of 7.4 million or less.
The show had a five-minute peak audience of 8.8 million and enjoyed a 35.8% share of all TV viewing between 7.30pm and 10pm.
Friday night’s figures match Children in Need’s lowest average audience of 7.7 million viewers in 2006.
Last year, the main programme of the appeal attracted an average of 8.3 million viewers, with a five-minute peak of 10 million and a 35.9% viewing share.
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