Strictly wins rating war with X Factor

Strictly Come Dancing triumphed over The X Factor on Saturday night as it launched to 8.1 million viewers, according to overnight ratings.

The opening episode of the programme’s 16th series attracted an average audience of 8.1 million (40.9 per cent share) and peaked at 8.5 million viewers, making it the most watched show of the day across all channels.

It marks a dip on last year’s launch when it drew an average of 8.8 million viewers and peaked at 9.5 million viewers.