Top British TV Shows of 2025: ‘Celebrity Traitors’ Dominates, ‘Adolescence’ Leads Streaming, and ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Hits Big
Television Viewership Soars as ‘The Celebrity Traitors’ Dominates UK Ratings
The BBC’s reality show, The Celebrity Traitors, captivated the nation and spurred numerous watch parties ahead of its electrifying finale in November. Comedian Alan Carr remained undetected as a traitor, ultimately claiming victory in a dramatic conclusion viewed by 15.4 million people.
According to 28-day viewing figures from BARB, the UK’s official television ratings body, the season finale achieved the highest ratings of any episode this year and stands as the largest single title on British television for 2025. While complete annual viewership figures are not yet accessible, no competing series is anticipated to match the success of The Celebrity Traitors.
Top Performers in British TV and Streaming
As the year draws to a close, the rankings for the top-performing titles in TV and streaming have emerged, though they do not include the final six weeks of programming. Strictly Come Dancing may still make an appearance in the lower rankings during the late-season episodes.
Here are the top ten series and films on British television for 2025:
| RANK | TITLE | RATING | SERVICE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Celebrity Traitors (E9) | 15.4M | BBC |
| 2 | New Year’s Eve Fireworks | 13.3M | BBC |
| 3 | Adolescence (E1) | 13.2M | Netflix |
| 4 | The Traitors (S3, E1) | 10.8M | BBC |
| 5 | I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! (S25, E1) | 10.6M | ITV |
| 6 | The Thursday Murder Club | 10M | Netflix |
| 7 | The Great British Bake Off (S16, E1) | 8.72M | Channel 4 |
| 8 | Gavin & Stacey: A Fond Farewell | 8.7M | BBC |
| 9 | Race Across The World (S5, E1) | 8.3M | BBC |
| 10 | Unforgotten (S6, E1) | 8.1M | ITV |
The rankings reveal that not only did The Celebrity Traitors excel, but its civilian counterpart, The Traitors, also made its mark with its highest-rated episode drawing 10.8 million viewers early in the year. Notably, Studio Lambert secured three slots in the top ten, with Race Across The World achieving ninth place at 8.3 million viewers.
With BBC shows accounting for half of the titles, Netflix and ITV each captured two spots, while Channel 4’s enduring favorite, The Great British Bake Off, brought in an audience of 8.72 million for its Season 16 premiere.
Despite concerns regarding the impact of U.S. streaming services on UK television, this ranking underscores the enduring ability of traditional networks to command substantial viewership with the right programming.
Streaming Success: ‘Adolescence’ and More
Netflix’s Adolescence emerged as the pinnacle of streaming for 2025. The four-part drama centered on knife crime attracted 13.2 million viewers in its premiere episode, solidifying its status as a standout series of the year. This compelling narrative, highlighting the radicalization of a British teenager, not only achieved significant domestic acclaim but also became Netflix’s second most-watched series internationally. The show won eight Emmys and is expected to be a strong contender at the upcoming BAFTA TV Awards.
The top ten series in streaming are as follows:
| RANK | TITLE | RATING | STREAMER |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adolescence (E1) | 13.2M | Netflix |
| 2 | Clarkson’s Farm (S4, E2) | 7.5M | Amazon Prime Video |
| 3 | Harlan Coben’s Missing You (E1) | 7.1M | Netflix |
| 4 | Wednesday (S2, E1) | 6.8M | Netflix |
| 5 | LOL: Last One Laughing UK (E1) | 6.2M | Amazon Prime Video |
| 6 | Hostage (E1) | 5.9M | Netflix |
| 7 | Dept. Q (E1) | 5.8M | Netflix |
| 8 | Monster: The Ed Gein Story (E1) | 5.3M | Netflix |
| 9 | Untamed (E1) | 4.6M | Netflix |
| 10 | Stranger Things (S5, E1)* | 4.5M | Netflix |
Netflix dominated the streaming landscape with eight titles in the top ten. Even the final season of Stranger Things made its mark, albeit with a seven-day viewership statistic, indicating its expected rise in future rankings.
Amazon Prime Video secured two places, featuring the well-received Clarkson’s Farm along with the comedic competition, LOL: Last One Laughing UK, both of which will return in 2026.
However, it was noteworthy that the final season of Squid Game did not appear in the top ten, despite its previous success. Additionally, Disney+ was absent from the top rankings entirely.
In film viewership, The Thursday Murder Club, adapted from Richard Osman’s novel, led with 10 million viewers, reaffirming its popularity and paving the way for further adaptations in the well-loved series.
The streaming film rankings include:
| RANK | TITLE | RATING | STREAMER |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Thursday Murder Club | 10M | Netflix |
| 2 | Happy Gilmore 2 | 6.7M | Netflix |
| 3 | Moana 2 | 5.4M | Disney+ |
| 4 | Back in Action | 5.3M | Netflix |
| 5 | The Super Mario Bros. Movie | 4.9M | Netflix |
| 6 | Paddington in Peru | 4.3M | Netflix |
| 7 | The Woman in Cabin 104 | 4M | Netflix |
| 8 | Unknown Number: The High School Catfish | 3.7M | Netflix |
| 9 | A House of Dynamite | 3.6M | Netflix |
| 10 | The Twits | 3.6M | Netflix |
In summary, the viewership trends in the UK for 2025 reflect a strong performance by traditional broadcasters while also showcasing the dominance of Netflix in both series and film categories.
