Britain's Got Talent vs The Voice - Simon Cowell Wins Round One

In the first of many ratings wars over the coming weeks it was Simon Cowell's Britain's Got Talent which came out on top. The Voice, the new singing contest by the BBC, was watched by an average of 8.4 million viewers during it's 80 minute slot between 7pm and 8.20pm. Britain's Got Talent, entering it's 6th series, picked up an average of 8.9 million viewers. But it wasn't all bad news for the BBC, who's star-studded judging panel includes Tom Jones, Jessie J and Will.i.am, as The Voice in fact beat Britain's Got Talent by a staggering 2.3 million viewers during the 20 minute period when the two shows clashed in the scheduling. The 8.4 million viewers tuning in to the first episode of The Voice also represented a significant increase in the number who watched the first ever episode of the SyCo produced Britain's Got Talent. BBC1 Controller, Danny Cohen, had earlier played down the expectations for the new £22m show but will be delighted with the initial success. He said: "It's fantastic that viewers have responded so warmly to the launch of The Voice. I hope that they continue to enjoy the quality of the show in the coming weeks." Last year, Britain's Got Talent launched with 9.9 million viewers, increasing to 10.4 million if including the audience tuning in via ITV+1. Both shows return to our screens next Saturday evening.