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Nearly half a million viewers (495,000) watched the first episode of the third series to catch up with the experiences of the Derry teenagers growing up in the backdrop of The Troubles, making it the most-watched television programme across Northern Ireland in 2022, the Ofcom Media Nations report shows.

I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! was the second-most popular show in Northern Ireland in the same year, reaching an average audience of 462,000 viewers. It was followed by The Tourist, starring Holywood actor Jamie Dornan, which reached an average audience of 388,000.

The next most-watched programmes were coverage of the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and the King’s Christmas Day message. Northern Ireland was also the only UK region where King Charles’s first festive message was in the top 10 list.

Derry Girls creator Lisa McGee, second from left, with cast members Dylan Llewellyn , Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Louisa Harland and Nicola Coughlan pictured at the 'Derry Girls' mural. Picture: Lorcan Doherty / Press Eye

Also making the top 10 of most-watched programmes in Northern Ireland were the BBC police drama Bloodlands starring actor James Nesbitt; crime thriller Trigger Point starring Vicky McClure; BBC News at Six and Strictly Come Dancing.

Stars out in force for Derry Girls series three premiere

The new Ofcom Media Nations report, which highlights the media habits of people in Northern Ireland, revealed there was a 9.5 per cent decline in the amount of broadcast TV people watched on a TV set in 2022. But, at twp hours and 44 minutes on average per day, this still represents a sizable chunk of people’s leisure time.

In line with the general trend across the UK, older people in Northern Ireland watched more broadcast TV on a television set than younger viewers. The over-54s watched more than any other age group, at an average of five hours 14 minutes per day, down by 4.8 per cent since 2021. Those aged 16-24 watched the least, at an average of 31 minutes per day, down by 22.4 per cent since 2021.

In 2022, the main five public service broadcasting (PSB) channels accounted for a combined 52.5 per cent share of the total broadcast TV audience in Northern Ireland. BBC One had the highest audience share of any individual PSB channel, at 20.5 per cent. UTV’s audience share in Northern Ireland (19.2 per cent) was the highest Channel 3 share among the UK nations.

Derry Girls most-watched show in Northern Ireland last year