Even Strictly Come Dancing was no match for a bloodied David Budd
The Bodyguard finale was the most watched show of the year, pulling in an astonishing 10.4 million viewers as David Budd chased down Julia Montague’s killers.
Audiences have been captivated by the thriller, starring Keeley Hawes and Richard Madden, so it’s little surprise that it scored the highest rating of 2018 – excluding World Cup footy.
Even Strictly Come Dancing was no match for the Jed Mercurio drama as the Saturday night entertainment show trailed behind with 9 million viewers.
The fantastically tense Bodyguard finale peaked at 11 million viewers as David Budd fought against the odds to find the truth.
And Broadcast reports that Bodyguard scored the biggest drama audience figure for seven years! The last drama to score a higher overnight figure was a Downton Abbey episode back in 2011.
The last episode didn't win universal critical acclaim, however, with Bryony Gordon in the Daily Telegraph writing: “Watching the final episode unfold felt a bit like witnessing a grade-A student open up their envelope on exam results day to find a string of Bs.”
But The Daily Mail’s Jan Moir was more positives: “There is a fine line between great drama and absurdity, and there were moments when Bodyguard and its bloodied Caped Crusader nearly fell into total farce. Yet it never did.
“The tense scenes managed to be both gripping and touching as this wounded man struggled on with his quest for the truth. Who had killed his beloved Lavender?”
It’s yet to be announced whether there will be a second series of Bodyguard, although it seems highly likely there will be given the enormous ratings.
