Deal or No Deal a hit with viewers

Deal or No Deal returned to our screens this week and if the ratings are anything to go by, ITV’s decision to bring it back from the dead was the right deal at the right time. 

The simple-yet-addictive daytime gameshow began a new run on ITV this week, seven years after it was canned by Channel 4. The new series sees Stephen Mulhern take over hosting duties from Noel Edmonds (pictured below), who fronted the show since its launch in 2005. With a change of host and the top prize of £250,000 being reduced to £100,000, everything else was instantly familiar to fans.

An average of 2.4 million viewers tuned in from 4.00pm on Monday as Mulhern kicked-off the new run. This was significantly up from the viewership of Tipping Point, which has occupied the 4.00pm slot for many years.

The rest of the week has seen Deal or No Deal stabalise to an average of 1.9 million viewers. ITV’s early evening quiz and gameshow block regularly tops ratings chart with The Chase, which airs daily at 5.00pm attracting up to 3 million viewers on occasions, overshadowing the more expensive prime time offerings from ITV.

Deal or No Deal airs weekdays 4.00pm on ITV and STV.