ITV2's Love Island beat BBC and Channel 4 in ratings

Bea Mitchell

Updated 25 July 2017 at 9:16 am

Once again, the British public have proven that they're an incredibly highbrow bunch, as ITV2 reality TV show Love Island has beaten BBC One, BBC 2, Channel 4 and Channel 5 in the ratings.

Last night's finale – which saw Kem and Amber crowned the winners of Love Island 2017 – drew in almost 3 million viewers in the 9pm slot, according to overnight data cited by Radio Times.

ITV has said that the 90-minute episode gained the biggest overnight audience in ITV2's history, with 2.9 million including +1 figures and averaging 2.6 million viewers (a 12.5% audience share).

To put those figures into perspective, last year's final of Love Island was watched by 1.3 million people (a 6.9% audience share), while the 2015 final averaged 737,000 (3.9%).

ITV2's Love Island was beaten in the 9pm slot only by fellow ITV show Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy, which had a massive 6.47 million viewers.

Still, the final didn't manage to entice contestants Dominic Lever and Jessica Shears, who seemingly snubbed it, potentially to avoid an awkward run-in with 'Muggy' Mike Thalassitis.

Love Island will return next year in 2018 for more couplings, uncouplings, recouplings and scholarly entertainment.

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