Channel 4 sheds viewers

Channel 4's share of the television audience has dipped below 10 per cent for the first time in 12 years.

The drop reveals the extent to which the channel's popularity has been dented by the increasing number of people signing up to digital television.

The decline could have been more marked had it not been for the strong performances of Big Brother, Wife Swap, Property Ladder and How Clean Is Your House?

Figures released by ratings company Barb, which surveys the viewing habits of 5,000 households, shows that BBC1 remains the most popular channel for the third year running with 25.6 per cent of the audience. ITV1 attracts 23.6 per cent while Five's audience was up to 6.5 per cent this year.