Ratings for the launch show should be with us very soon.

Jake Kanter ‏@Jake_Kanter 25s25 seconds ago
Strictly Come Dancing returned with 8.7m (42.6%), beating an improved The X Factor, which drew 7.5m (34.5%).

Think Strictly will thrash XF every week this year.

Did very well.

Agree XF required to be fast out the blocks with the RWC coming and that disruptive affect on its shows. It's nearly dead before that hurdle.

Well hopefully. I stropped watching X Factor years ago and even when I did watch it I used to skim through it in about 20 minutes.

Good ratings for the launch show.

The percentage is fantastic.

I never know with ratings - is the ITV one with or without +1?

Yes, X Factor includes +1. It got 7.13m without it.

The X-Factor figure included +1.

Without that the ratings were 7.13M (32.8%).

Strictly long ago won that particular battle with XF.

As long as the ratings stay above 8 million for the season I suspect the BBC will be happy

Ha ha The X Factor dropped to 5.44 million when it overlapped with Strictly in the last 15 minutes!

The X Factor is a dying show if we're honest, it's become so manufactured and fake its gone beyond parody.

I think both shows are probably past their best, but Strictly appeals to more casual viewers.

Yes XF is on the wain, it's dying fast now, people see past how controlled and manufactured it us, , people enjoy SCD as real entertainment and a real honest competition.

Excellent. Happy for the show

BARB have released the consolidated figures for the Launch Show - Strictly added just over a million viewers to end up with 9.78m.

Strictly drew 7.7m viewers last night.

Up over a million on last year's Friday show.

not bad for a Friday Nite

How does that compare to last year ?

Overall it's about in line with what they've had usually (last year was an anomaly because the whole show clashed directly with X Factor and it massively dented both programmes). A little disappointing given the high the Launch Show hit, but we plough on.

Last night's Strictly drew 7.66m viewers, which was a 39.7% audience share.

It peaked at 9.1m viewers.

Thanks to hassan & rzt on GB for the data.

500,000 down on last year's show which also had an X Factor clash..

Still not bad considering it was on earlier than usual, on a day with good weather in most places, and up against 45 minutes of an England game (granted, it was the non-playing bit, but still...)

And next week it clashes with the now all-important England v Australia game - very likely figures will be hit badly by that!

Hopefully England crash out and there'll be no future problems.