The 20 Most-Watched TV Episodes EVER

The third series finale, in which Albert decides to take in a lodger to make some extra cash, causing Harold to take a new job and finally move out.

And the winner, with 129 points, was the entry from Luxembourg, Anne-Marie David with the song ‘Tu Te Reconnaîtras’, or You Will Recognise Yourself. England came a respectable third, thanks to Cliff Richard.

Again, not a particularly devastating episode, but broadcast just a few weeks after the drama ramped up on New Year’s Day, with Liz McDonald losing her baby, Katherine, after being born premature.

Spoiler alert! It was Kristen Shepard (played by Mary Crosby), J.R.’s scheming sister-in-law, who gunned down the oil baron in a fit of pique.

Solid numbers here from Benny Hill, along with guests including Nicholas Parsons, actress Andrée Melly, and regular collaborator and straight man, Bob Todd.

With Jimmy Tarbuck as host, he welcomed the talents of Shirley Bassey, Rudolf Nuryev, Antoinette Sibley, and Mike Yarwood.

The statesman, former First Sea Lord and last viceroy of India got the red book treatment from Eamonn Andrews after ambushing him in the foyer of Thames Television.

A thoroughly unassuming episode, the 3335th instalment of the northern soap somehow drew its second biggest audience ever. Maybe BBC1 was broken.

Always a ratings winner, the 1975 Royal Variety performance featured the legendary Charles Aznavour, Count Basie, Bruce Forsyth, Michael Crawford, Kojak star Telly Savalas, and the cast of Dad’s Army.

The iconic interview with Princess Diana by Martin Bashir for Panorama saw her talk candidly for the first time about the state of her marriage to Prince Charles.

The annual parade of ladies from around the world scored a surprising top 10 entry, with nearly 24 million sitting down to watch Madeline Hartog-Bel win Miss World, representing Peru.

The usual Boxing Day cheeriness in the Square, as a knees-up at the Vic, and then a party back at the Beale’s, is counterpointed by Cassie Carpenter getting beaten up. Festive.

Peter Bowles and Penelope Keith’s will-they, won’t-they relationship in classic sitcom was adored by the viewing public, with Audrey foiling Richard’s plans to appear in an upmarket advert.

Christmas 1988 was a tumultuous time for the Square, with Den in prison following his run-in with The Firm, and fearing for his life. Viewers tuned in in their millions.

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh presided over a top drawer cast at the 1965 Royal Variety Performance, including the golden pipes of Shirley Bassey and Dusty Springfield, and comedy from the legendary Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, Ken Dodd and Peter Sellers.

In what was a pioneering storyline dealing with a massive public health issue, Mark’s HIV positive diagnosis was a very big deal. The episode where Arthur and Pauline tried to persuade him to tell sister Michelle about his condition scored a huge audience.

The largest audience ever for a comedy show, it was the day that Del and Rodney finally became millionaires. This Christmas special, broadcast in 1996, saw the brothers selling an antique watch for more than £6 million, and announcing that 'Trotters Independent Traders has ceased trading’.

With her iconic hair rollers and sharp tongue, Jean Alexander’s farewell to the longest-running soap in the world was watched by a staggering number of people. She was later voted the greatest TV character of all time by the Radio Times.

Another bombshell from Albert Square as Michelle Fowler, daughter of salt-of-the-earth Pauline and Arthur Fowler, revealed she was up the duff. Things only got worse when they found that Den Watts was the father.

Full of Christmas cheer, this classic EastEnders episode bummed fans out until well after the New Year, when Den found out Angie had invented a terminal illness to stop him from leaving her. It was watched by more than half the population of the UK at the time.