The Coronation of King Charles III drew more than 19 million spectators in the UK on Saturday, but others had more important things to watch.
BBC1 had a peak audience of 13 million viewers, plus 1.7 million for sign language coverage, while ITV had 3.3 million viewers and another 1 million watched on other news channels.
However, the Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board data from Overnights reveal that not everyone was watching, since they do not include numbers for people viewing on streaming systems like BBC iPlayer or in public places like bars or large outdoor screens.
Indeed, Channel 4 opted to screen Rowan Atkinson’s 2018 film Johnny English Strikes Again instead of the Coronation.
An astonishing 140,000 people tuned in to witness the action comedy, which yet has a Coronation twist.
In the original Johnny English film from 2003, Atkinson’s bumbling titular character crashes a coronation only to be anointed himself.
In the film, however, he decides to return the crown to the Queen, earning himself a knighthood in exchange.
The actual real-life Coronation also had a link, with Atkinson having been a long-time friend of the King and Queen Camilla, having been invited to their wedding and his private 60th birthday festivities.
He was present over the weekend, but Twitter saw an opportunity for him to replicate Johnny English by crash-crashing the historic occasion.
Can't help it, all I can think of is Rowan Atkinson right now. #Coronation pic.twitter.com/z6TtEUCf1r
— Ellis Whitehouse (@E_Whitehouse293) May 6, 2023
Rowan Atkinson has the chance to do something hilarious today #Coronation pic.twitter.com/UtAlA5bQHO
— Matthew (@DiscipleOfBrad) May 6, 2023
Plenty of people shared clips and gifs of the memorable scene and all had the same idea.
‘Rowan Atkinson has the chance to do something hilarious today #Coronation,’ one fan wrote, while another captioned a video: ‘Rowan Atkinson after one [too] many cocktails.’
A third Twitter user added: ‘Can’t help it, all I can think of is Rowan Atkinson right now.’
Others thought that Channel 4 should really have aired the 2003 movie to fit with the celebrations.
‘Missed a trick not showing the first Johnny English with the coronation of Pascal Sauvage,’ joked one viewer, with another adding: ‘Even though I saw a real life coronation yesterday, the only coronation I consider “real”, is the thwarted coronation of Pascal Sauvage in Johnny English.’
