Michael McIntyre’s Big Show draws in audiences again in post-pandemic return

By Charlotte McLaughlin, PA Senior Entertainment Reporter

Michael McIntyre’s Big Show, which returned for the first time since the pandemic, has brought in millions of viewers once more.

The show returned to BBC One at 6.50pm on Saturday with an average audience of 4.4 million, according to overnight ratings.

There was also a peak of 4.9 million viewers watching the first episode of the sixth series, the BBC said.

Over on ITV, The Masked Singer, which aired from 7pm, averaged 4.1 million viewers and had a peak of 4.8 million viewers.

Comedian McIntyre, 46, was joined at London’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane by presenter and TV personality Rylan Clark, DJ Joel Corry and singer-songwriter Tom Grennan to host a show for the first time since 2019.

During the popular segment, Send To All, which sees McIntyre take a celebrity’s phone and sends a funny text message, he found Clark’s dating profile and accessed his online order lists.

While sitting in the audience, Clark, 34, said: “Do you know, I have removed something but I’ve just seen something I’ve forgotten to remove.”

McIntyre said: “Oh is it Hinge the dating app?”

While the show filmed the phone screen, McIntyre read out Clark’s dating profile.

He said that Clark labelled his profession as “host at TV” and showed in answer to a written question “the way to win me over is”, the celebrity put “be decent”.

McIntyre, while showing a picture of Clark on his back with his eye mostly closed in a fluffy jacket,  said: “There you go, there’s a good example of that.”

Clark said: “Do you know when you join these things, because I am a single man now, and I thought I’ll get with the programme and do what everyone else does and try this out.

“But it says you have to add a certain amount of photos. I’ve not updated my photos since I’ve done that ‘Oh that one will do, that one will do’.”

McIntyre then invited all of Clark’s contacts to a fancy dress party.

Elsewhere in the episode, Corry and Grennan performed their hit Lionheart (Fearless), and an Antiques Roadshow fan had the biggest surprise of their life.

Next week, presenter Alison Hammond will hand over her phone for Send To All, former footballer Peter Crouch is awakened for a very special Midnight Gameshow in Portugal, and singer-songwriter George Ezra performs his latest hit single.