Boris Johnson’s dramatic coronavirus lockdown announcement last night was watched by 27million Britons – as a poll found 93 per cent back the measures.
The huge viewing figures make the PM’s grim TV address from Downing Street one of the most watched events in UK history, exceeding the numbers for the 2012 Olympics opening ceremony.
Research by YouGov suggests the public were overwhelmingly happy with what they heard.
But in a potentially worrying sign for the PM, it also showed two-thirds believe the extraordinary curbs will be easy to obey.
The announcement by Mr Johnson last night means that everyone must stay inside unless it is absolutely essential.
Gatherings of more than two people have been banned in the most draconian restrictions on freedom ever seen in Britain in time of peace or war.
Boris Johnson’s coronavirus lockdown is backed by 93 per cent of Britons, according to a YouGov poll today
The snap poll taken in the wake of Mr Johnson’s dramatic address to the nation found 76 per cent ‘strongly support’ the steps.
Another 17 per cent are ‘somewhat’ in favour – with just four per cent voicing opposition. The remaining three per cent said they were not sure.
The curbs are set to last initially for three weeks, although the government’s own experts have warned the crisis could continue for a year.
They are shutting down huge swathes of the economy, banning people from seeing their families, and cancelling normal life as we know it.
However, some 24 per cent thought it will be ‘very easy’ to follow the rules.
And another 42 per cent said it would be ‘fairly easy’.
Just under a third suggested it would be hard or very hard, while three per cent said they did not know, and two per cent suggested they do not intend to follow the rules.
Mr Johnson said police will be given powers to impose fines and disperse public gatherings. But the poll showed Britons were split 39 per cent to 39 per cent over whether that will be enough.
YouGov, which polled 2,788 British adults overnight, said there was little variation in support levels between different age groups or genders.
Some 15.2million viewers tuned into the coverage on BBC One, while 5.6million watched on ITV, 1.6million on Channel 4 and a further 0.7million on Channel Five.
It was one of the top ten most-watched TV broadcasts ever in UK – ahead of even the London 2012 opening ceremony which saw 24.2million tune in.
It is in eighth place – above the 2012 Olympics closing ceremony with 24.5million, but below the wedding of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips in 1973 with 27.6million.
Some 70 per cent of people watching TV at 8.30pm last night were turned into the announcement – with BBC One having a 46 per cent share of the audience.
This was followed by ITV with a 17 per cent share, Channel 4 with 5 per cent and ITV with 2 per cent. Others also watched on Sky News and the BBC News Channel.
The only terrestrial channel not showing the statement was BBC Two, which had 1.5million people tuning into University Challenge – or a 5 per cent share.
Other high-profile TV events in recent years including the Croatia v England 2018 World Cup semi-final, although that only drew in 20.7million viewers.
It was also ahead of the Gavin and Stacey Christmas special last year with 17.1million, and Prince Harry and Meghan’s wedding in 2018 with 11.5million.
In the sombre address to the nation from Downing Street last night, Mr Johnson said: ‘Without a huge national effort to halt the growth of this virus, there will come a moment when no health service in the world could possibly cope; because there won’t be enough ventilators, enough intensive care beds, enough doctors and nurses’, adding: ‘I must give the British people a very simple instruction – you must stay at home’.
He said any family reunions, weddings, baptisms and other social events must be cancelled to stop the NHS collapsing under the strain. Funerals can go ahead attended by just a handful of closest relatives.
People must only leave their homes for essential supplies, medical help, or to travel to work if it is ‘absolutely’ unavoidable. Going out for exercise will be allowed once a day, but parks will be patrolled to make sure there is no abuse of the rules.
Police will have powers to fine those who do not fall into line, and disperse any public gatherings, in measures to curb movement only seen during the Second World War. Historians have claimed you have to go back to 1666 to find when people were last forced to stay at home en masse, when Britons had to stay at home for 40 days to halt the spread of the Great Plague.
The PM was finally forced into the draconian move amid fury that many people are still flouting ‘social distancing’ guidance, with parks and Tube trains in London – regarded as the engine of the UK outbreak – still busy despite repeated pleas.