Headlines have emerged in the last couple of days claiming an episode of Blue Peter got zero viewers. Could the legendary BBC children's show really have hit such a low? And how do viewing figures actually work? Let us explain...

Ad

Where did the story come from about Blue Peter getting no viewers?

On Wednesday, the Mail Online published an article claiming that Blue Peter had “NO viewers” for one of its episodes and asked: “Is Blue Peter sunk?”

The article said that the BBC show had suffered a “dramatic slide” since moving to CBBC in 2012, reporting that “a repeat of the show aired at 2.30pm on Tuesday June 13 got a dreaded ‘zero’ rating on the official system used to measure TV audiences”.

It did acknowledge however that the “lacklustre” episode was watched by 53,100 viewers when it was originally broadcast in June.

How did the BBC react to that?

Defiantly.

“Zero viewers? We beg to differ…” the BBC press office tweeted, explaining that the episode had technically been watched by 252,000 people in total across all of its broadcasts.

And she wasn't the only presenter to take to the social network to show their support...

While others claimed it was unfair to draw attention to the viewing figures of a repeat.

Ad

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=videoseries?list=PLbs-Pk9dtKb8YP3Qd5UDiUQqkuzd776iF&showinfo=0?ecver=1

Authors

Ellie HarrisonWriter, RadioTimes.com

Comments, questions and tips

Rate this recipe

What is your star rating out of 5?

Choose the type of message you'd like to post

Choose the type of message you'd like to post

Overall rating

Ad
Ad
Ad
Create an image depicting a festive scene with elements from the top Christmas songs, such as a snowy New York for 'Fairytale of New York', a cozy home setting for 'Last Christmas', and a glamorous Christmas party for 'All I Want for Christmas Is You'. Include musical notes and festive decorations to represent the spirit of these iconic Christmas songs.

RT offer

Immediate’s iconic brands reach 21m people every month – that’s more than a third of the UK’s adults – through its world-class magazines, innovative digital products and exciting live events

hello
An image depicting a festive scene with iconic Christmas elements such as a beautifully decorated Christmas tree with twinkling lights, snow gently falling, and perhaps a cozy fireplace in the background. The image should capture the essence of popular Christmas songs, with musical notes and lyrics subtly included in the design, representing a playlist of classic Christmas tunes.

summer

Immediate’s iconic brands reach 21m people every month – that’s more than a third of the UK’s adults – through its world-class magazines, innovative digital products and exciting live eventsImmediate’s iconic brands reach 21m people every month – that’s more than a third of the UK’s adults – through its world-class magazines, innovative digital products and exciting live eventsImmediate’s iconic brands reach 21m people every month – that’s more than a third of the UK’s adults – through its world-class magazines, innovative digital products and exciting live events

More