Fools and Horses romps home with 20m punters

Only Fools and Horses was the clear winner in this year's Christmas ratings war.

Unofficial overnight estimates indicate that 20.3 million people tuned in to see the return of Del Boy and Rodney.

It compares to around 12 million attracted by ITV's top programme, Coronation Street.

The figure is expected to rise in two weeks time when the official statistics are released, which take into account video recordings.

It was the first outing for Del and Rodney since Christmas 1996, when the pair became millionaires after happening upon an antique watch.

The last episode in that trilogy attracted a total of 24.35 million viewers.

Yesterday's programme showed the two enjoying the high life in the south of France before whittling away their fortune on a dodgy South American investment.

They then return to their flat in Peckham, south London, and start up their old dodgy dealings in an attempt to regain the money.

The show pulled in 73% of all television viewers at the time it was screened and was up against a yuletide edition of ITV's Stars in Their Eyes.