BBC drama Bodyguard trounces ITV's Vanity Fair in ratings war with double the viewing figures

The political thriller pulled in 6.6million
Winner: BBC drama Bodyguard won the Sunday night ratings battle
Natasha Sporn3 September 2018

Bodyguard triumphed over Vanity Fair in the clash of the Sunday night dramas with double the viewers for the gripping third episode.

Jed Mercurio’s new BBC drama pulled in a massive 6.6million viewers in the 9-10pm slot, with a peak at 7m, while Vanity Fair attracted 3.1million for ITV.

The gripping BBC thriller reached new levels of raunchy on Sunday night with an abundance of sex scenes, one leaving viewers stunned over Richard Madden’s nudity .

Madden plays PS David Budd, a protection officer assigned to look after Home Secretary Julia Montague – played by Keeley Hawes –who he is politically bitterly opposed to.

Leads: Keeley Hawes as Julia Monague and Richard Madden as David Budd (BBC/World Productions/Sophie Mutevelian)
BBC

Passion proved too much for the pair as they hopped into bed in episode two, continuing their secret trysts in the most recent episodes.

But after David disarmed Julia’s attempt to straddle him in bed, she decided to oust her bodyguard “for the best” – only to be left severely injured just moments later when a bomb ripped through an auditorium.

Meanwhile, ITV, joint with Amazon Studios, launched their major drama for the year with Olivia Cooke taking the lead in a new adaptation of William Thackeray’s classic Vanity Fair .

The Ready Player One actress stars as Becky Sharp, a vindictive social climber obsessed with status and unfazed about who she treads on to get where she wants to be.

The 1848 novel has been adapted for both big and small screens before but ITV are hoping to make a success of it with their £10million production.

Vanity Fair continues on ITV tonight at 9pm, while Bodyguard continues Sunday at 9pm on BBC One.

ITV Vanity Fair - in pictures

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