X Factor trampled by the dancefloor divas of Strictly Come Dancing

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Viewers plumped for the more refined appeal of the BBC ballroom dancing contest as it went head to head with the ITV reality show.

But insiders said it was the offscreen tantrums and clashes between contestants which had prompted a surge of interest in the show - and had producers rubbing their hands in glee.

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Gabby Logan is said to be fuming after being voted off 'Strictly Come Dancing'

Kate Garraway's smooth moves are winning over the public, if not the judges

Strictly Come Dancing averaged 8.7 million viewers on Saturday, its highest figure yet this series and easily outstripping The X Factor's average of 7.8 million.

But it was when the two programmes overlapped by half an hour that the competition became heated.

As The X Factor kicked off at 6.45pm it managed only 5.8million viewers, compared to 9.1million riveted to the dance contest, which had begun nearly an hour earlier.

Even 15 minutes into the clash between the two shows, Strictly Come Dancing was still trumping its rival by more than two million viewers.

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If looks could kill: The moment Kate Garraway met Gabby Logan on the GMTV sofa

A BBC source said: "Undoubtedly the rumoured rivalries between the contestants has played a part.

"There has been a lot of drama in the last week with Gabby Logan being voted off and not seeming terribly happy about it.

"There is also a perception of a lot of sympathy for Kate Garraway, who isn't rated highly by the judges but is being kept in the show by viewers - so it really is anyone's game at the moment, which is making things very interesting."

Sports presenter Miss Logan was said by friends to have been seething about being booted off the show ten days ago.

At one point she appeared to be glaring at her rival Miss Garraway when both were on the GMTV sofa.

The breakfast presenter, meanwhile, has survived from one week to the next despite her performance being criticised by the judges. On Saturday she again had the lowest judges' score of all the women but survived the public vote.

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The judges of X Factor: (L-R) Louis Walsh, Sharon Osborne, Dannii Minogue, Simon Cowell

Even some of X Factor's more colourful characters couldn't guarantee it first place in the ratings war

The 39-year- old presenter is thought to be winning the popularity stakes in the programme, which has been dubbed Strictly Come Bitching because of backstage rivalries.

In last night's follow-up show view-ers saw TV presenter Dominic Littlewood voted off after a dance-off with former footballer John Barnes.

X Factor producers defended their show's performance, claiming the programme's peak of 9.5million viewers at 8pm beat Strictly Come Dancing's high of 9.2million.

But judges Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh admitted the choreography on the show had been a 'disaster' while Cowell was reduced to voting off one of his acts, boy band Futureproof.

The competition is now being closely fought between two surprise favourites, both considerably older than the average teen pop sensation.

Niki Evans, a 34-year- old dinner lady from Tamworth, Staffordshire, and Beverley Trotman, 37, a primary school teacher from Luton, both won praise from the judging panel.

Walsh told Mrs Trotman: "You had the best performance by a mile. You showed everyone you are a contender to win on your performance tonight."