The Queen's address to the nation was watched by 8.14 million viewers to top the Christmas Day TV ratings, according to overnight figures.

In the speech, broadcast at the usual time of 3pm on the BBC, ITV and Sky, the monarch delivered a message of hope after a tumultuous, coronavirus-ravaged 2020 and told those spending Christmas Day by themselves that they were "not alone".

The annual battle of the soaps was won by Coronation Street, which drew 4.55 million (23.6%) in the 7pm hour, while Emmerdale had 3.57 million (20.5%) between 6pm and 7pm.

The Christmas Day episode of EastEnders, which saw Ian Beale's attacker revealed, had a disappointing 3.54 million (19.2%) between 9.10pm and 10pm on BBC One.

The Christmas edition of Call The Midwife was second in the rankings, with 5.43 million from 7.40pm to 9.10pm on BBC One, with a one-off revival of Blankety Blank with Bradley Walsh coming in third on 5.26 million.

A Strictly Come Dancing countdown episode delivered a decent 4.86 million from 4.45pm - also on BBC One - followed at 6pm by The Christmas Wheel with 4.66 million. Mrs Brown's Boys entertained 3.81 million at 10pm.

After the soaps, ITV's top-rated programme of the day was a celebrity special of The Chase, which averaged 3.02 million in the 5pm hour.

The first ever Christmas edition of Britain's Got Talent, meanwhile, pulled in just 2.9 million (15.5%) between 8pm and 9.55pm on ITV.