NEIGHBOURS - NEIGHBOURS KEEPS AUDIENCE AFTER MOVE TO FIVE

NEIGHBOURS KEEPS AUDIENCE AFTER MOVE TO FIVE

Australian soap opera Neighbours has managed to hold onto its UK audience after switching from BBC One to channel Five.

The first teatime airing of the soap on Five received an audience of 2.3 million, compared to the 2.5 million that tuned in to see the final episode on BBC.

Viewing figures were down for the lunchtime broadcast though with one million tuning in, compared to the 2.4 million on Friday.

Neighbours was on the BBC for 22 years, before Five won the rights to air the show, after the BBC pulled of out of a bidding war.

The slot vacated by the Australian soap on BBC One has been filled by The Weakest Link, which attracted 2.2 million viewers.

Five is currently following Neighbours in its schedule with fellow Australian show, Home and Away.

In December it was announced by the BBC that a new Sydney-based soap would replace Neighbours.

At its peak, Neighbours pulled in a combined audience of 19 million for its lunchtime and teatime screenings.