TalkTV: how to watch Piers Morgan-fronted channel backed by Rupert Murdoch - and what are TalkTV ratings

Piers Morgan helped to launch TalkTV in April with his first full-time show since he stormed out of ITV’s Good Morning Britain.

His primetime TV programme Uncensored featured heavily in the marketing for Rupert Murdoch’s new channel.

It kicked off with a tempestuous interview with former US President Donald Trump but now appears to be struggling to keep hold of viewers, according to the latest ratings.

So what have its audience figures been - and how can you watch TalkTV?

Here’s everything you need to know.

What is TalkTV?

TalkTV is a new channel that started broadcasting on 25 April.

It’s run by News UK - Rupert Murdoch’s UK media empire that includes newspaper titles The Times and The Sun, as well as radio stations including Talksport, Virgin Radio and Times Radio.

It predominantly focuses on news and current affairs, with hourly news bulletins, political debates and opinions, as well as documentary and entertainment shows.

When is Piers Morgan Uncensored on TalkTV?

Piers Morgan Uncensored is an hour-long current affairs show that’s TalkTV’s flagship programme.

The former editor of the Daily Mirror, who walked out of his previous job as co-host of ITV’s Good Morning Britain following a row over Meghan Markle, has promised to “cancel cancel culture”.

He has said he wants to get ‘cancelled’ people, such as JK Rowling, on air to talk about their views and has vowed to celebrate “the right of everyone to have an opinion, and for those opinions to be vigorously examined and challenged”.

Piers Morgan Uncensored is on TV from 8pm Monday to Friday.

What’s on the TalkTV schedule?

As well as Piers Morgan, TalkTV viewers have several other programmes to choose from.

At 7pm, political journalist Tom Newton Dunn hosts a show called The News Desk.

This programme promises “straight and balanced” news, interviews and experts from News UK’s stable of newspapers and radio stations.

It also features a rotating discussion panel which has voices from “across the political spectrum”.

This panel includes people like:

• Former Sky News anchor Adam Boulton
• Ex-Evening Standard editor (and sister-in-law to David Cameron) Emily Sheffield
• Socialist economist and commentator Grace Blakeley
• Labour MSP Anas Sarwar
• Conservative MP Bim Afolami

At 9pm, Piers Morgan hands over to Sharon Osbourne, who presents The Talk - a show covering “the most interesting stories of the day” from what TalkTV says is a range of perspectives.

Jeremy Kyle has become an emergency host for Mrs Osbourne’s programme after her husband Ozzy Osbourne was taken ill during the first week of broadcast.

Mrs Osbourne was fired from her previous role at US broadcaster CBS for defending Morgan’s comments about Meghan Markle.

TalkTV is known to be looking to set up a satirical panel show in the style of the BBC’s Have I Got News For You.

What channels is TalkTV on?

TalkTV is set to appear on all the major digital TV services.

Here is a list of which channels you can find it on:

• Sky 526
• Virgin Media 627
• Freeview 237
• Freesat 217

It also streams via Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Samsung TV Plus (channel 4316), YouTube, as well as its own dedicated website, app and social media pages.

What are TalkTV’s ratings?

Despite the fanfare around its launch, TalkTV has struggled to keep hold of its impressive first week audience figures.

According to the Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board, TalkTV was rated as having “zero viewers” during parts of Tom Newton Dunn’s slot on Tuesday (3 May).

While this doesn’t necessarily mean no one was watching the show, it suggests the audience was small.

Piers Morgan Uncensored has seen its figures plunge 80% from an average of 317,000 viewers on its launch night to just 62,000 viewers a week later.

However, Mr Morgan has claimed his show beat BBC News Channel, Sky News and GB News on 3 May - although he has not provided evidence to back up this claim.