Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Oprah interview viewed by 12.4 million making it the biggest TV show of the year

Clips released before the event itself had teased that "no subject is off limits", with the couple discussing the context surrounding their decision to "step back" from their duties as senior members of the royal family back in January 2020.

The viewing figures for the much anticipated interview have now been released, with Deadline reporting that an average of 11.1 million viewers tuned in to watch in the UK, making it the most viewed TV show of the year in Britain.

Viewing peaked at 12.4 million, meaning the broadcast was viewed by more than half of people watching television across the UK at that time.

For context, The Masked Singer finale last month was watched by 8.6 million people. In the US, 17.1 million people tuned in for the programme's CBS broadcast.

The broadcast marked the biggest peak audience for ITV since the 2019 Rugby World Cup final, and topped the viewing figures of the Strictly Come Dancing finale in December.

ITV has also revealed that the interview has been streamed by 2.2 million people on ITV Hub.

During the honest chat, the couple discussed the effect joining the royal family had had on Meghan's mental health and the scrutiny she experienced from the British press.

Before the interview aired in the UK in full, it had already elicited a strong reaction on social media, with many British outlets commenting on the programme too.

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