Jordan Peterson drives Q&A ratings spike on ABC

There weren’t the fireworks many forecast when Jordan Peterson fronted up to Q&A, but he did give the ratings some oxygen.

Catherine McGregor and Jordan Peterson on the Q&A panel. Picture: ABC

A guest line-up headed by controversial Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson drove Q&A to its biggest ratings of the year last night, with 429,000 five city metropolitan viewers — and a total 624,000 nationwide (including 195,000 regional viewers) — tuning in.

The figure was up an average 86,000 on last week’s national figures.

Last week, Q&A attracted an average of 370,000 five-city metropolitan and a total of 538,000 nationwide (including 168,000 regional viewers).

On February 11, Q&A attracted an average of 365,000 viewers (five city metropolitan) and when the show returned for 2019 on February 4, the figure was 384,000.

Last night, the traditionally hour-long talkfest helmed by Tony Jones stretched to an almost 90-minute marathon, and was the 20th most-watched show of the night.

ABC and Q&A had the biggest share of free-to-air audience eyeballs after 10pm as viewers tuned in to see Peterson appear alongside broadcaster and author Catherine McGregor, writer Van Badham, Special Minister of State Alex Hawke and Shadow Minister for Employment Services Terri Butler.

Fireworks were forecast, but the show remained fairly tame as panellists covered topics including toxic masculinity, identity politics, transgenderism and free speech.

Not even the insertion of a bizarre video question — from British commentator Milo Yiannopoulos, who accused Dr Peterson of betrayal early in the night — could overly raise the hackles.

The numbers were healthy, but a far cry from last year’s special edition Q&A with dumped PM Malcolm Turnbull.

The November 7 show, featuring the former PM spilling on losing the leadership was the attracted 666,000 in five cities, and in its 8pm timeslot was the top non-news offering of the night across.

Last night, Channel 9 reality show Married At First Sight won the night with 1.23 million metropolitan viewers.