BB9: Big Brother Final Viewing Figures

The Big Brother Final was watched by a peak audience of 5.1m on Friday night, with 23% audience share just after 10:15pm as Rachel was announced the winner of BB9. The return of popular chat show host Jonathan Ross on BBC1 at 10:35pm, may have contributed to the decline of BB9. Between 10pm and 11.05pm, Big Brother averaged 4.7 million viewers, yet was down 600,000 on last years peak final (5.7m).

The first eviction show between 8 and 9pm had 3.9m viewing figures as Darnell, Rex and Sara all found out they had lost out on the Big Brother £100,000 prize. Channel 4 had a 17% audience share as the programme had to compete with Eastenders on BBC1.

A further 376,000 and 166,000 viewers, respectively, watched Friday's two Big Brother instalments an hour later on the digital service Channel 4 +1.

The Guardian reports, "Big Brother's ratings have been in steady decline since series seven in 2006, when the two final-night shows attracted 6.3 million and a 29% share, and 7.7 million and 39%, respectively.

The show's ratings high-point was series three in 2002, when Kate Lawler's victory attracted an average of 9.4 million viewers to the 10pm final night show – a 50% share."

*BB official website: www.channel4.com/bigbrother

BB9: VIDEO - Big Brother 9 Best Bits

Big Brother 9 has finished and life will have to return to normal, but just in case you are having withdrawal symptoms - check out the video below. The Channel 4 video brings us the highlights of the 'Best Bits' from the 93 day series.

Relive the fake wedding, Alexandra's aggression, the Electric Shock Task, Mario dunking custard creams into his hot coffee, Rebecca and Luke's relationship developing, Rex marking Jen's painting, Spitgate, Happy House, Belinda's snoring, Chilli Task, VT's exposed, Rex's girlfriend, Lisa's escape, Letters From Home, Mario proposes to Lisa and all the evictions.............

*BB official website: www.channel4.com/bigbrother

BB9: Big Beard's Final Thoughts

"It's all over for another year and I already have Big Brother withdrawal symptoms. I find myself looking at the TV guide hoping to find another BB9 programme to watch, but alas I have to settle for the fact Big Brother has finished for 2008.

Not bad considering I was not going to watch any of it, instead I accidentally got hooked as I flicked channels and saw the housemates after they had entered the BB house. Finding out Rebecca was from my home city Coventry meant I was instantly hooked.

Soon my days were filled with hours of Big Brother viewing and blogging and 93 days of distraction as the British summer became another washout. Thankfully the 21 housemates provided me with enough entertainment to keep me loyal for the duration. Even though we voted out the more controversial characters and the "happy house" crew lasted until the final week, it was worth watching.

Viewers also remained pretty much loyal, in an ever changing electronic world viewers were able to watch on Channel 4, or an hour later on C4+1. Then E4 and E4+1 allowed us to see even more of the housemates as well as the official website www.channel4.com/bigbrother, treating us to exclusive videos and stories.

I was like an addict on crack, getting my daily dose of Big Brother - spending hours reading, watching and uploading to Big Brother Blog Squad. Readers would come back and vote on the various polls and would pick who would be evicted next quite successfully. I had to battle with Google, who twice removed BBBS from it's listings as they tried to drive me out of existence - but the site continued even if people couldn't find it through Google.

Big Brother 9 also survived the stories of demise and falling viewing figures as the producers came up with excellent twists and turns, alongside tasks that would test the housemates to the limits. Relationships were strained and broken, mended and created - it was a roller coaster ride where housemates experienced the highs and lows of living in a gold fish bowl for our entertainment.

I'm going to miss the housemates - all of them, because each of the 21 housemates brought something unique to the Big Brother house. They were all special and remind us we all have flaws and all have abilities. Some excelled and some disappointed but all of them gave us hours of voyeuristic entertainment. Big Brother may be over, but thankfully it will be back again next year - hopefully not quite as long............"

*BB official website: www.channel4.com/bigbrother

BB9: VIDEO - Rachel's Best Bits

Rachel survived 93 days inside the Big Brother house to be crowned the winner of BB9. Rachel may have been the quiet housemate but she still provided us with many classic moments from inside the BB house, so here are her 'Best Bits' in this Channel 4 video:

*BB official website: www.channel4.com/bigbrother