The interest in the BNP's first appearance on the panel programme was so great that half the TV audience (50.4%) tuned to BBC One at 10.30-11.30pm, with the ratings matching those of soaps such as 'EastEnders'.
The programme created tensions between the BBC and members of the political establishment as well as anti-fascist groups, and was preceded by at times violent demonstrations outside Television Centre and a break-in to the building.
A peak of 8.2 million viewers saw Griffin's views attacked by the audience and the rest of the panel, which included Justice secretary Jack Straw and Liberal Democrat shadow home secretary Chris Huhne.
The event was well-followed on Twitter, with 75,000 tweets made using the hashtag #bbcqt during the hour the programme was on air, according to the BBC Question Time Twitter feed.
The ratings success meant fewer than one million viewers tuned in to watch Piers Morgan's interview with Welsh soprano Katherine Jenkins on ITV1. He had only 4.4% of the available audience, or 714,000 viewers.
Earlier in the evening 'New Tricks' on BBC One pulled in an audience of 4.1 million against 3.9 million for 'The Bill' on ITV One at 9pm.
An hour before, the final episode of 'Masterchef: The Professionals' performed strongly for BBC Two, with an average audience of 3.9 million against 3.6 million tuning in to 'Watchdog' on BBC One. ITV1 was, however, the clear victor in the time slot with 6.7 million watching 'Emmerdale', rising to 7.8 million for 'Coronation Street' at 8.30pm.
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