David Attenborough reveals why Planet Earth has been smashing The X Factor in ratings battle
The BBC confirmed the first three episodes of Planet Earth II brought in more young viewers than The X Factor
SIR David Attenborough thinks more people are watching Planet Earth II than The X Factor because "it's a form of therapy".
The BBC nature show is also attracting more viewers in the 16 to 34 age bracket than The X Factor on ITV.
The 90-year-old broadcaster puts the show's success down to new technology which brings viewers closer to the animals than ever before and the new music, written by Oscar winning composer Hans Zimmer.
He told Radio Times: “I’m told that we are attracting a larger than normal number of younger viewers and apparently the music of Hans Zimmer in particular is striking a chord.
"That pleases me enormously," he added.
Attenborough also believes viewers are “reconnecting with a planet whose beauty is blemished and whose health is failing”.
Planet Earth II's best ratings so far was for the episode about the world's Mountains, with 1.8million young people tuning in compared to 1.4million watching ITV's The X factor.
The original Planet Earth series, which aired in 2006, is believed to have been watched by more than half a billion people and Sir David Attenborough hopes the second series will have an even bigger impact.
He added: “We are hopeful that this series will be seen by as many, if not more.”
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Speaking about the extraordinary series producer Mike Gunton said: “Visually, where Planet Earth took an almost God-like perspective and said ‘Let’s look down on the Earth and see the scale of the planet’.
"What Planet Earth II is doing is saying ‘Let’s get ourselves into the lives of the animals, and see it from their perspective.
“The visual signature of the series is that you feel like the camera is with the animals.
"It’s very fluid, very active. For example, you might see this wonderful lemur leaping through the forest.
"Normally when we’d film that, we’d be standing back observing it, but here the lemur almost jumps over your shoulder and as it’s jumping over your shoulder, you’re with it - the camera is running with it!”
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