This makes it the UK’s most watched episode of any drama series across all channels since current records began, in 2002. This is the largest audience recorded for a TV programme outside of sporting and national events since 2010.

Bodyguard is BBC iPlayer’s most successful box set ever, where it currently has over 38 million requests. The full series, written and created by Jed Mercurio and made by World Productions for BBC One, remains on BBC iPlayer exclusively in the UK as a box set.

Charlotte Moore, Director BBC Content, says: "Bodyguard continues to smash records and thrill new audiences everyday via the boxset, which is available exclusively on BBC iPlayer for the next five months."

Simon Heath, CEO & Creative Director of World Productions, says: “A big thank you to the BBC for their terrific support and to everyone who watched Bodyguard either live or on catch up. We’re hugely grateful”.

Figures are measured using BARB’s updated 4-screen 28-day measure, which was introduced in August 2018 and includes viewing through TVs, as well as online non-TV devices.

Measured using the previous standard 28-day consolidated method, the figure for Bodyguard's finale (15.9 million) still remains the highest number for an episode of a drama series since current records began in 2002.