The awards, hosted by Jonathan Ross at the Royal Opera House, pulled in an 18.4% share of the 9-10pm audience. Along with 'Slumdog Millionaire' other winners included Mickey Rourke, awarded Leading Actor for his role in 'The Wrestler', and Kate Winslet, who scooped Leading Actress for 'The Reader'.
ITV1 drama 'Wild at Heart', starring Stephen Tompkinson and Dawn Steele, won the prime time slot with 7m viewers and a 26% share of the 8.30-9.30pm audience.
Channel 4's airing of fashion industry satire 'The Devil Wears Prada', starring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway, drew 2.7m viewers and a 10% share of the 8-10.15pm audience. Including Channel 4+1 figures it reached 3.2m viewers.
BBC Two's documentary 'Explore: Istanbul and Anatolia', in which Simon Reeve leads a team of journalists in a journey of discovery across Turkey, netted 1.6m viewers and a 5.8% share of the 9-10pm audience.
Five's showing of action film 'US Marshalls', starring Tommy Lee Jones and Wesley Snipes, pulled in 1.6m viewers and an 8.3% share of the 9-11.30pm audience.
Earlier in the evening celebrity ice dancing contest 'Dancing On Ice', presented by Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, attracted 9m viewers and a 33.6% share of the 6.45-8.30pm audience. Former 'EastEnders' star Todd Carty was this week's evictee.
BBC One got the best of its commercial rival on Saturday afternoon and evening, beginning with its coverage of the opening Six Nations rugby matches.
England vs Italy at 2-4.45pm drew 3.7m viewers and a 28.2% share, then Ireland vs France brought in 4.7m viewers and earned a 24.2% share finishing at 7pm.
BBC One followed the rugby with extreme obstacle course gameshow 'Total Wipeout', which managed 6.6m viewers (28.3%) at 7-8pm, and the National Lottery draw, which was watched by 7.8m (33.5%) at 8-8.45pm.
ITV1 managed 5.4m and a 24.2% share at 6.45-7.15pm with 'New You've Been Framed' and 5.6m and a 23.8% share at 7.15-7.45pm with 'Harry Hill's TV Burp'.
But just 3.4m, 14.8% of the audience, tuned into the sixth and final part of 'Demons' at 7.45-8.45pm.
The homegrown supernatural drama about a descendent of vampire hunter van Helsing started its first run with 5.7m viewers and a 24% share, but has failed to deliver ratings worthy of its high profile slot.
ITV1's 'Midsomer Murders' also came off worst in direct competition with BBC ratings banker 'Casualty'. The former attracted just 4m (18.4%) at 8.45-10.45pm while the latter brought in 6.8m (29.6%).
On BBC Two the first of a three-part documentary, 'Iran and the West', earned 1.3m viewers and a 5.8% share at 9-10pm.
Channel 4 screened the Mark Wahlberg remake of 'The Italian Job', getting 1.6m viewers and a 7.7% share; another 800,000 watched it on Channel 4+1.
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