Glenn Dyer's TV ratings: Harry and Meghan rocking the global numbers

The tell-all interview also rocked the big-mouthed UK breakfast show host Piers Morgan right out of a job.

Royal — Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (Image: AAP/Steve Christo)

The night after the night before. After getting solid figures in the United States and Australia, the Meghan Markle and Prince Harry interview rated its socks off on Monday night in the UK, attracting 11.3 million people to ITV (which reportedly paid about US$1 million).

The interview caused a soap opera of its own. It saw Piers Morgan, the highly opinionated co-host of ITV’s Good Morning Britain breakfast show, storm off the set on Monday after a co-host took exception to his remarks and criticism of Markle.

Morgan said he doubted Markle really was suicidal, a statement that drew a stern rebuttal from his co-host, a “talking to” by ITV management, an inquiry from Ofcom, the UK media regulator, and then Morgan’s dramatic departure from ITV after a weak attempt to clarify what he said.

For ITV the publicity was golden, as was Morgan’s storming off and eventual exit.

And on Tuesday it revealed a US$215 million drop in 2020 earnings after a plunge in revenue in the UK and from its production arm globally last year. ITV is a reality program in its own right but is certainly no Love Island (one of its headline reality shows). More a case of I’m A Breakfast Show Host, I’m Out’a Here.

Locally, normal service was restored last night as Ten’s moment in the sun on Monday night quickly vanished as MAFS ate the audience again (with 1.23 million national viewers), helped by Nine’s cobbled-together special The Crown In Crisis — 818,000 nationally — which showed a nimbleness that wasn’t apparent at Seven, Ten or the ABC.

Nine’s night from Seven and Ten in total people. The ABC ducked past Ten in the main channels into third.

Today had another weak morning in breakfast — sub-300,000 national audience and sub-200,000 in the metros (ABC’s News Breakfast was also weak). Allison Langdon returned this week from her sick leave. Nine will want to see a rebound. On Foxtel the Kylie Moore-Gilbert interview was watched by 83,000 on Sky News — about what Andrew Bolt gets when he is at full rant and rave.

Breakfast: Sunrise, 396,000 nationally and 255,000 metro; Today, 282,000 and 178,000; News Breakfast, 255,000 and 165,000.

Regional top five: Seven News, 557,000; Seven News 6.30, 528,000; Harry and Meghan interview, 417,000; 7pm ABC News, 348,000; Home and Away, 337,000.

Network channel share: