STRICTLY Come Dancing continues to put its best foot forward in the ratings department as it blew rival show The X Factor out of the water, attracting nearly five million more viewers than the ITV show on average on Saturday night.

The Blackpool Special of the popular BBC One dancing show enjoyed its highest peak audience figure for the current series with 11.9 million viewers, while it pulled in an average of 10.7 million viewers.

The dazzling dance routines by celebrity Strictly contestants such as Ed Balls and Judge Rinder meant the show had a 47.9 per cent audience share.

According to the BBC, this means it was the most watched show on television in the UK on Saturday.

The X Factor may not have trumped Strictly but it is holding steady as it was watched by 5.9 million people, with a peak viewing figure of 7.2 million.

ITV reports the show, which saw singers performing hits from the movies, was watched by 6 million viewers last Saturday evening.

Controversial X Factor rapper Honey G challenged former shadow chancellor Balls to a dance-off during Saturday night’s show.

She told X Factor host Dermot O’Leary: “I’d like to challenge Ed Balls to a dance-off, challenge me any day. He knows where I am.”

Meanwhile, the jungle escapades in I’m A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here! are proving popular as it enjoyed a viewing figure of 8 million and a peak of 8.5 million.

The addition of two new celebrities - Danny Baker and Martin Roberts - into the jungle camp has seen things hot up as the first argument broke out.

The two new arrivals had a verbal spat as Homes Under The Hammer presenter Roberts felt that Baker was bragging about his success after leading the team that won The Hungry Games live trial.

The BBC scored a second victory as the first episode of the new series of Michael McIntyre’s Big Show, which was an hour long and aired on BBC One at the same time as the first 60 minutes of The X Factor, averaged 6.2 million viewers.