Saturday Night Takeaway smashes ratings record with 11m viewers – despite having no audience

ANT and Dec last night smashed viewing records for Saturday Night Takeaway despite putting the show together without an audience during a global pandemic.

It was revealed today that 11 million Brits tuned in amid government recommendations to stay indoors - the highest figure in the show's 18-year history.

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Telly stats reveal 45 per cent of all TV viewers watching live last night were tuned in to Takeaway.

The figures are the biggest ratings any programme has racked up in 2020 - even beating the televised New Year's Eve fireworks display in London.

Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly, both 44, presided over a show that saw them left without an audience to play to.

However, fans loved nonetheless, with many admitting they were in tears at the final live End of the Show Show.

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Many viewers welled up at the scenes, which saw NHS workers and other viewers dancing while Olly Murs sung Dance With Me Tonight.

One tweeted: "Dancing and crying my eyes out to the end of the show show!"

Dec revealed at the end of last night's episode that next week's live show had been axed - with the rest of the series due to be pre-recorded.

He told viewers: "We will be back next Saturday at 7pm, we wont be live but we will be here with the finale of Men In Brown!"