Mrs Brown's Boys helps BBC become most-watched channel this Christmas

Telegraph Reporters
Updated
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A change of identity in both Mrs Brown's Boys and Doctor Who helped BBC One glean six of the most-viewed television shows on Christmas Day this year. 

Rory, the gay son in the sitcom, was recast for the Christmas special and future series after longstanding actor Rory Cowan stepped down earlier this year. Brendan O'Carroll's comedy caper dealt with the situation by explaining that he had plastic surgery – before unwrapping the bandages to show little-known actor Damien McKiernan. 

The big reveal helped to attract 6.8 million viewers to BBC One during the episode, the most for a show on a single channel on Christmas day. 

The Queen's message attracted 7.8 million viewers over BBC1, ITV and ITV's catch-up plus-one channel, and was also broadcast on Sky.

The Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special was in second place on BBC One with 6.5 million viewers.

Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special
Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special

Hit soap EastEnders and period drama Call The Midwife were next, both with 6.3 million, followed by the Queen's Christmas broadcast on BBC1 (5.9 million), which was also seen by 1.9 million on ITV.

The Christmas message beat Doctor Who, in which outgoing Time Lord Doctor Who was shown to regenerate into Jodie Whittaker, the new Doctor, watched by 5.7 million people and placing it as the sixth most popular show on the channel.

In the top 10, ITV got a look-in at seventh place with Coronation Street, at 5.1 million, including its plus-one catch-up channel.

Charlotte Moore, director of BBC content, told PA: "Millions of people chose BBC1 on Christmas Day and came together to enjoy the top six most popular programmes from comedy, drama and entertainment, with Mrs Brown's Boys returning to the top spot."

Last year the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special was the most popular programme on TV on Christmas Day, with an average audience of 7.2 million watching head judge Len Goodman's final appearance on the panel.

Christmas Bake Off: the biggest festive audiences for Channel 4 since 2002
Christmas Bake Off: the biggest festive audiences for Channel 4 since 2002

Channel 4 said The Great British Bake off attracted the broadcaster's biggest Christmas Day overnight audience since modern records began in 2002.

It won an average audience of 3.1 million viewers and a 13.6% share of audience from 7.40pm to 9pm, peaking with 3.4 million viewers.

The previous biggest Christmas Day broadcast on Channel 4 was Home Alone in 2016 which drew three million viewers.

After Coronation Street, ITV's biggest success was fellow soap Emmerdale with 3.7 million viewers - 10th on the list of most popular shows.

TV drama Victoria attracted 2.7 million, below Paul O'Grady For The Love of Dogs At Christmas (3.4 million) and the film Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban (2.8 million).

BBC News was eighth in the top 10, with 4.2 million viewers, and The Highway Rat, also on BBC1, was ninth with four million.