The first episode of BBC One's Planet Earth III, presented by Sir David Attenborough, has consolidated at 10.6m after 28 days. This makes it one of the highest rated programmes of the year across all genres, only beaten by The Coronation programming (Ceremony, Concert and Celebration); Eurovision; and Happy Valley.

Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning, Specialist Factual, said: “These extraordinary figures are a testament to the hard work and dedication of BBC Studios’ Natural History Unit, who continue to find the most thrilling wildlife stories on earth. Alongside Wild Isles* from Silverback Films, which was also a huge success earlier this year, these numbers show that there’s an undiminished appetite for quality Natural History programming on the BBC. I’m excited to see how audiences respond to new series Big Cats 24/7, Mammals, and Asia which are all set to launch next year.”

*Wild Isles 28-day consolidated series average 8.2m. Wild Isles Episode one 28-day consolidated figure 10.5m.