Royal drama is a jewel in the crown for BritBox

WHAT a tumultuous week for ITV, which scored a victory in landing 11 million viewers for Meghan and Harry’s interview – then lost outspoken star presenter Piers Morgan.

The jaw-dropping interview was an unmitigated success, however, for BritBox. ITV’s streaming joint venture with t he BBC logged a 3,000 per cent increase in its viewers for programmes on the Royals. A documentary on Harry and Meghan, and one on Princess Margaret, were among the favourites. BritBox UK boss Will Harrison tells me momentum has been building since the service put up the original TV footage of Charles and Di’s wedding to coincide with The Crown’s return. ‘There’s an audience group with an insatiable appetite for Royal content. For people who want to dig deeper, it’s all there,’ he says.

BritBox launched in 2019 and is dominated by classics such as Cracker and Father Ted, but with some promising original shows coming soon, it could prove a bright spot for ITV.

MUCH chatter in the (virtual) City about a rumoured take over of the FTSE 100 packaging giant DS Smith.

Its US peer, International Paper, has been touted as a potential bidder, as has private equity firm Apollo and even blue chip rival Mondi.

Now the mutter from the gutter is that the mystery bidder for the Amazon supplier originates from Scandinavia and that Bank of America is advising the predator on the deal.

One stock market wag even speculates that Tetra Pak, the privately owned packaging giant controlled by the billionaire Rausing family, might be the suitor.