Lead Balloon, the BBC4 sitcom starring Jack Dee, has experienced a dramatic slump in viewing figures. The third episode, which aired on Wednesday, attracted 199,000 viewers in its 10.30pm timeslot. The series opened with 383,000 viewers last month.

Last week, the BBC announced that it was switching Lead Balloon to BBC2 on 26th October, before the show finishes its run on BBC4. The decision was made on the back of the debut episode earning BBC4 its highest-ever rating for a comedy show.