BBC1's The Apprentice returned with 6.4 million viewers, more than a million down on last year's series launch.

The eighth series of the Lord Sugar business show began with a 25.9% share of the audience between 9pm and 10pm on Wednesday, with a five-minute peak of 6.8 million.

Last year's seventh season began with an average of 7.8 million viewers, a 30.9% share.

The Apprentice had more than enough viewers to beat the ITV1 opposition, with Midsomer Murders averaging 4.7 million viewers, a 19.3% share, between 8pm and 10pm.

Other 9pm competition included BBC2 documentary WikiLeaks: the Secret Life of a Superpower (700,000/2.6%), Channel 4's One Born Every Minute (3 million/12%) and Channel 5's NCIS (1.5 million/6.1%).

Sky Sports 1's coverage of Manchester City's 2-1 win over Chelsea in the Premier League averaged 1.28 million viewers, a 5.6% share, between 7.30pm and 10.15pm, with a five-minute peak of 2.23 million.

However, it was the lowest series launch for the Apprentice since 2008, when it was also watched by 6.4 million viewers.

The highest launch was in March 2009, when 8.1 million tuned in, dipping to 6.9 million viewers for the 2010 run which was delayed until October because of the general election.

The 2007 series, the first to air on BBC1 after it switched from BBC2, began with 5 million viewers.

All ratings are Barb overnight figures, including live, +1 (except for BBC and some other channels including Sky1) and same day timeshifted (recorded) viewing, but excluding on demand, or other – unless otherwise stated. Figures for BBC1, ITV1, Channel 4 and Channel 5 generally include ratings for their HD simulcast services, unless otherwise stated

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