Britain's Got Talent receives its lowest EVER ratings as magician Harry Moulding is crowned champion - while Doctor Who gets a boost for THAT regeneration reveal
Britain's Got Talent received its lowest viewership in history on Saturday night as magician Harry Moulding was crowned champion after a mammoth 14-week series.
The show had switched to airing weekly on Saturday nights for its 2025 run, and finally came to an end with Harry scooping £250,000 in prize money and a spot at the Royal Variety Performance.
But Harry receiving praise from viewers for his 'incredible performance,' just 4.1 million viewers tuned into the live final, one million down on last year.
While this did increase to a peak of 4.8 million, this is still down on the 5.2 million viewers who watched 2024's final.
These numbers do not include viewers who streamed the final on ITVX, or caught up at a later time, so the final viewership will be likely to increase.
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In contrast, Doctor Who received a huge boost from its much-anticipated finale, which saw Ncuti Gatwa bid farewell to the iconic role after just two series.
According to overnight figures, the finale saw 2.2 million tune in live, making it the second most watched show of the day and second most watched episode of the series, behind the sixth episode, The Interstellar Song Contest.
As he was unveiled as the BGT winner. Harry jumped up and down and screamed after hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly called his name.
'I can't believe what is going on,' he said. 'Thank you everyone so much, I genuinely feel like everyone has been behind me. This has been the most incredible journey.'
He faced off against dance troupe The Blackouts in the final two, with the group remaining good spirits after his win, saying it was 'well deserved'.
His routine began with a card trick where he correctly pulled out all the cards each of the judges had picked.
In a pre-recorded video of himself sky-diving, he correctly predicted the cards each judge would select.
The budding star received praise across the board from judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and Bruno Tonioli following his act.
Harry has now secured a life-changing £250,000 cash prize and a coveted place on the bill of the Royal Variety Performance.
The magician performed the winning magic routine which the judges described as incredible.
Elsewhere during the show, fill-in judge KSI and Tom Grennan performed while the public voted for their favourite act.
Meanwhile, Doctor Who fans were left stunned when it was revealed that Billie Piper would be taking over the role of the titular time traveller.
The actress is well-known to longtime Who fans, having previously played The Doctor's companion Rose Tyler, and The Moment interface in the show's 50th Anniversary Special.
Billie will now be the second woman to take on the role as the Time Lord after Jodie Whittaker portrayed the 13th doctor.
She replaces Ncuti, who leaves Doctor Who after two seasons in the science-fiction series.
The actor's time on the long-running science fiction programme came to an end as The Reality War episode brought this season to a close on Saturday.
The two-part season finale saw the Doctor face the Rani in a battle to save the world after making the decision to safe the life of one little girl.
As he bid farewell to companion Belinda Chandra, played by Varada Sethu, he said: 'I hope you'll see me again, but not like this.'
The finale also saw Whittaker, the 13th doctor, make a guest appearance as Gatwa's Doctor appeared to be travelling through alternate universes.
In a statement released by the BBC, Ncuti Gatwa said: 'You know when you get cast, at some point you are going to have to hand back that sonic screwdriver and it is all going to come to an end, but nothing quite prepares you for it.
'This journey has been one that I will never forget, and a role that will be part of me forever. There are no words to describe what it feels like to be cast as the Doctor, nor are there words to explain what it feels like to be accepted into this iconic role that has existed for over 60 years and is truly loved by so many across the globe.
'The fans are truly the final character and beating heart of this show and I can't thank the Whoniverse, and the Whovians, enough for welcoming me in, and making this such a touching experience.
'I've loved every minute of it, but now is the time to hand over the keys to that beloved blue box and let someone else take control and enjoy it every bit as much as I have.
'I'll truly miss it, and forever be grateful to it, and everyone that has played a part in my journey as the Doctor.'
Reacting to the news Billie said: 'It's no secret how much I love this show, and I have always said I would love to return to the Whoniverse as I have some of my best memories there, so to be given the opportunity to step back on that Tardis one more time was just something I couldn't refuse.'
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