Last night, Australians (well, more than 1.6 million of them) got dumped by the Honey Badger. The Bachelor got real and told us that life and love don’t always end in a bed of roses.

The finale averaged 1.35 million, and the big reveal (well, non-reveal) scored 1.67 million. So there was a solid turn on for the climax of 323,000 viewers — most of whom would have howled in frustration when they realised there was no honey for the badger.

With Gogglebox averaging a solid 1.10 million, it was Ten’s night in total people, the main channels and the demos, and its best night of the year. 

On 7.30 last night Mark Humphries had his first effort in his new gig. In breakfast, a rather nasty national battering of Today (324,000) by Sunrise (488,000). That’s a 164,000 winning margin.

In regional markets it was Seven’s 6pm News with 550,000, with Seven News/Today Tonight next with 540,000, then The Bachelor with 437,000, The Chase Australia with 357,000 and The Bachelor Finale with 346,000.

Network channel share:

  1. Ten (26.9%)
  2. Seven (26.5%)
  3. Nine (24.1%)
  4. ABC (14.4%)
  5. SBS (8.1%)

Network main channels:

  1. Ten (22.1%)
  2. Nine (18.5%)
  3. Seven (16.9%)
  4. ABC (10.2%)
  5. SBS ONE (5.2%)

Top 5 digital channels: 

  1. 7TWO (4.3%)
  2. 7mate (3.2%)
  3. GO (2.5%)
  4. ONE, Eleven (2.4%)

Top 10 national programs:

  1. The Bachelor (Ten) — 1.678 million
  2. Seven News — 1.498 million
  3. Seven News/Today Tonight — 1.430 million
  4. The Bachelor Finale (Ten) — 1.335 million
  5. Nine/NBN News 6.30 — 1.168 million
  6. Nine/NBN News — 1.139 million
  7. Gogglebox Australia (Ten) — 1.102 million
  8. The Block (Nine) — 1.101 million
  9. A Current Affair (Nine) — 1.010 million
  10. 7pm ABC News —988,000

Top metro programs:

  1. The Bachelor (Ten) — 1.241 million
  2. The Bachelor Finale (Ten)  — 1.009 million

Losers: Nine, Seven and viewers of The Bachelor who wanted a happy ending.

Metro news and current affairs:

  1.  Seven News — 947,000
  2.  Seven News/Today Tonight — 890,000
  3. Nine News 6.30 — 850,000
  4. Nine News— 849,000
  5. A Current Affair (Nine) – 714,000
  6. 7pm ABC News – 674,000
  7. The Project 7pm (Ten) — 565,000
  8. 7.30 (ABC) — 494,000
  9. Ten Eyewitness News — 349,000
  10. The Project 6.30pm (Ten) — 288,000

Morning (National) TV:

  1. Sunrise (Seven) – 488,000
  2. Today (Nine) – 324,000
  3. News Breakfast (ABC, ABC News) — 261,000
  4. The Morning Show (Seven) — 246,000
  5. Mornings (Nine) — 137,000
  6. Studio 10 (Ten) — 73,000

Top five pay TV programs:

  1. Supercars Bathurst (Fox Sports) — 61,000
  2. Supercars Bathurst Supports (Fox Sports), Love It or List It Australia (LifeStyle) — 56,000
  3. Criminal Minds (TVHITS) — 50,000
  4. Paul Murray Live (Sky News) — 48,000