RATINGS: DOCTOR WHO DIPS LOWER AS BBC STRUGGLES AGAINST ITV COMPETITION

In the new series, audiences join The Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu) on an epic quest to get Belinda back to Earth. But a mysterious force is stopping their return and the time-travelling TARDIS team must face great dangers, ferocious enemies and wilder terrors than ever before.

Doctor Who continued on BBC One on Saturday 19th April with 'Lux' which scored overnight audience of 1.58m. The consolidated rating - which will include iPlayer, devices and catch-up, will be released w/c 28th April.

It was BBC One's fourth most watched programme of the day, behind BBC News, Casualty and Blankety Blank - with the latter ahead by a whisker. In the absence of Gladiators, Doctor Who inherited a third of the audience compared to last week's lead-in, which set the tone for BBC One having an underwhelming night all round.

Overall, it was the eighth most-watched title of the day across all channels, with ITV winning the day with Britain's Got Talent - Doctor Who's direct competition with nearly two and a half times the audience - and The 1% Club, with 99 To Beat and An Evening With Elton John on ITV also just ahead of Doctor Who overall.

The synopsis for the episode reads: "The Doctor's quest to get Belinda home takes the Tardis to Miami in 1952, where an abandoned cinema is hiding a terrifying secret. Can the Doctor uncover Lux's power?"

SEASON 2 RATINGS SO FAR

Episode 1

Overnight: 2.00m

Consolidated: TBC

Episode 2

Overnight: 1.60m

Consolidated: TBC

Doctor Who continues Saturdays on BBC One, with each episode available from 8am on BBC iPlayer.