Prince Harry lavish wedding to Meghan Markle attracted a staggering 5.5million Australian viewers.
The flame-haired royal’s emotional ceremony with the former Suits actress in front of 600 guests was aired by Seven, Nine, ABC and SBS on Saturday night.
Despite drawing in a huge audience, Harry and Meghan’s big day didn’t quite trump his brother William’s 2011 nuptials to Kate Middleton – which scored six million viewers.
A royal disappointment! Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding draws in 5.5million Australian viewers… but it STILL doesn’t beat Kate and Wills’ lavish 2011 ceremony
Almost two million people tuned in to watch Harry and Meghan tie the knot on Network Seven, while 1.5million viewed the ceremony on the rival network, Channel Nine.
To put the impressive figures into context, Daily Mail Australia looks back at the reality TV finales that trailed not too far behind the royal weddings.
Despite the a seemingly endless stream of dating shows, including The Bachelor and Married At First Sight, it appears that Aussie audiences actually prefer their television less salacious.
Not quite! Despite drawing in a huge audience, Harry and Meghan’s big day didn’t quite trump his brother William’s 2011 nuptials to Kate Middleton – which scored six million viewers
According to OzTam ratings, long-running Network Ten cooking show MasterChef is top of the reality tree, with its 2010 finale attracting 4.03million metro viewers.
The last episode of the sophomore series saw Adam Liaw – who went on to host several cooking shows for public broadcaster SBS – defeat runner-up Callum Hann.
The show’s inaugural season also proved ratings gold, with the 2009 finale – which saw Julie Goodwin defeat Poh Ling Yeow – drawing a metro audience of 3.726 million.
Ratings winner: According to OzTam ratings, long-running Network Ten cooking show MasterChef is top of the reality tree, with its 2010 finale attracting 4.03million metro viewers. Pictured: Season two winner Adam Liaw
Channel Nine’s renovation show The Block has also held a special place in the hearts of Australian viewers for many years.
Its season four finale was particularly memorable.
The 2011 series, which saw Polly Porter and Warwick ‘Waz’ Jones take out top honours, saw 3.37 million viewers tune in.
Hammering it: The Block also holds a special place in the hearts of Australian viewers. The 2011 series, which saw Polly and Waz take out top honours, saw 3.37 million viewers tune in
Success! The final episode of Australian Idol’s second series catapulted a 16-year-old Casey Donovan to national fame, with a draw-dropping 3.34million viewers witnessing her victory
When it comes to reality TV, Australians certainly love singing competitions – a fact that was perfectly demonstrated by the 2004 finale of Network Ten’s Australian Idol.
The final episode of the second series catapulted a 16-year-old Casey Donovan to national fame, with a draw-dropping 3.34million viewers witnessing her victory.
Channel Nine’s The Voice can also lay claim to producing one of the highest-rating episodes in history when its 2012 finale raked in 3.27million viewers.
The inaugural season saw Karise Eden crowned winner.
While My Kitchen Rules’ 2013 final saw 3.27 million viewers tune in, recent years have shown reality TV is dipping in popularity across the board.
Since 2014, the AFL Grand Final has proven to be Australian TV’s highest rating broadcast.
In the spotlight: Channel Nine’s The Voice can also lay claim to producing one of the highest-rating episodes in history when its 2012 finale raked in 3.27million viewers