Top Gear viewing figures plummet by almost half to 2.8 million

Top Gear's audience plummeted to 2.8 million viewers in its second episode - losing a third of the viewers who watched the debut of the latest series.

The audience grew throughout the episode, peaking at 3.3 million, but failed to match the ratings of Antiques Roadshow and Soccer Aid.

The average audience for BBC Two on Sundays at 8pm is 2.6 million, with an average share of 9.9%.

Last week, the popular BBC Two motoring show drew in 4.4 million viewers, peaking at 4.7 million.

The viewing figures for the second episode are expected to grow when consolidated with the numbers of those watching on other platforms.

The statistics come a week after Top Gear's new co-host Chris Evans said emphatically in a series of Twitter posts that the first episode was a solid hit after it garnered lukewarm reviews from viewers and critics.

Evans's posts were mocked by Twitter users in light of the second episode's modest figures.