The competition, hosted by Terry Wogan for the BBC from Estonia, attracted 7.8 million viewers and a 36% audience share between 2000 and 2300 GMT, according to unofficial figures.

More tuned in towards the end of the show when the winner, Latvia, was announced. Audience figures peaked at 10.9 million viewers - a 54% audience share - between in the final 15 minutes between 2245 and 2300 GMT.

Jessica Garlick came in third

ITV1's quiz show The Vault, hosted by Davina McCall, drew 4.7 million viewers and a 22% audience share between 2015 and 2100.

An Audience With... Brian Conley - which followed The Vault - attracted 6 million viewers and a 27% audience share between 2100 and 2200.

Last year The Eurovision Song Contest had 6.9 million viewers and a 37% audience share.

Winners and losers

Singers representing 24 countries, from Slovenian female impersonators to a Greek boy band, competed in front of 7,000 flag-waving fans at the Saku Suurhall in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia.

The winner was chosen by television viewers who called special hotlines to vote.

As the voting began, Malta and Latvia quickly established themselves as the countries to beat and easily fended off a late surge of votes for France and Spain.

Pre-competition favourites Spain and Germany finished seventh and 20th.

The host country Estonia came joint third ahead of France, Cyprus, Spain and Sweden.