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X Factor final seen by 17 million X Factor final seen by 17 million
(20 minutes later)
ITV1's The X Factor was watched by more than 17 million people on Sunday night, as Olly Murs and Joe McElderry fought for the title.ITV1's The X Factor was watched by more than 17 million people on Sunday night, as Olly Murs and Joe McElderry fought for the title.
An average of 15.5m people watched the full two-hour final, according to early overnight figures.An average of 15.5m people watched the full two-hour final, according to early overnight figures.
The peak audience came at 2030GMT, dropping slightly to 16.8m as McElderry was declared the overall victor.The peak audience came at 2030GMT, dropping slightly to 16.8m as McElderry was declared the overall victor.
The show accounted for 56% of the total TV audience. Sports Personality Of The Year also attracted 4.7m to BBC One.The show accounted for 56% of the total TV audience. Sports Personality Of The Year also attracted 4.7m to BBC One.
The teenager is set for the Christmas number one with his debut, The Climb
The annual awards ceremony, which saw Manchester United footballer Ryan Giggs take home the top prize, peaked with 6m viewers for the last 15 minutes of the show.
McElderry, from South Shields, had been the bookmakers' favourite to win the X Factor, and took nearly two thirds of the 10 million votes cast.
After clinching the title, he performed his single, The Climb, which was released digitally at midnight. A CD single will be on shop shelves from Wednesday.
On ITV2's companion show, The Xtra Factor, it was later revealed that McElderry had topped the phone vote for the last four weeks.
Speaking to GMTV on Monday, he said winning the show had been the "best experience" of his life.
"I am still pinching myself, I cannot believe it, that I am sitting here, and that I have just won X Factor," he said.
"I think it is going to take a long time to sink in. It was just amazing, it has been the best experience of my life."
The 17 million-strong audience is the highest for the reality singing contest - beating the previous peak of 15.02m, set on 15 November when rocker Jamie "Afro" Archer was voted out.
However, the show did not quite manage to top the year's highest-rated programme. The final of Britain's Got Talent was seen by 18.29m in May.