So You Think You Can Dance saw it’s UK launch on BBC last night and early figures indicate that it has gotten off to an encouraging start.

The show is fronted by ‘Nasty’ Nigel Lythgoe, who is joined on the judging panel by Arlene Phillips and Louise Redknapp. The premiere episode showed the audition stage of the show and revealed the fourteen finalists, live shows start next Saturday night.

Last night’s episode averaged 6.44 million viewers (27.4%) and though it started at 6pm, with just 4.64 million viewers (21.1%) by 7.15pm this had rose to 8.07 million (33.7%). Not quite the heady heights of X Factor but still an impressive result for a less sensational, more talent based show, especially when compared to the US ratings of the 2009 season finale on Fox. Last December the American version of the show closed with 7 million viewers. The BBC look set to beat that figure.