Jack Whitehall’s new TV series has got off to a faltering start in the ratings.

Hit The Road Jack attracted just 960,000 viewers to Channel 4 at 10pm last night – just over half the average audience that slot usually wins.

And people switched off as the show went on, the overnight Barb figures supplied by Attentional show. The first quarter-hour averaged 1.48million, the second 840,000.

The show, which takes place in pop-up venues around the country and showcases Whitehall’s sketches as well as his stand-up, was beaten by a Never Mind the Buzzcocks rerun, which attracted 1.05million.

But when the 206,000 who watched Hit The Road Jack on the C4+1 time-shifted channel are taken into account, it narrowly beat the Buzzcocks repeat.

Whitehall is currently working on a BBC Three sitcom, Bad Education, too.