Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? was ITV1's most popular show

Just 11.8% of viewers tuned in to ITV1 across the day, compared with BBC One's 36.4%, which included a peak of 11.3 million for Liverpool's cup win.

Some 3.9 million watched ITV1's top show, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

An ITV1 spokesman said: "A big sporting occasion like the FA Cup Final will often cause a ratings blip."

A BBC One spokesman said: "We are delighted that the thrilling FA Cup Final and the Cybermen's return to Doctor Who proved a winning combination to BBC One viewers."

Some 8.6 million watched Doctor Who.

Last week, ITV announced plans to axe a string of programmes in a bid to refresh its main channel's schedule.

ITV director of television Simon Shaps said the changes were "painful, but utterly necessary" and he wanted the network to "take more risks".