Tom Bradby helps ITV News at Ten gain half a million viewers in three weeks

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Tom Bradby began presenting the flagship ITV news show in October
Its rival BBC news bulletin pulls in double the number of viewers - 4million
But to stay in front the BBC is reportedly giving the show a new studio
The BBC's 10pm bulletin has been presented by Huw Edwards for 12 years

Published: 06:14 EST, 2 November 2015 | Updated: 13:07 EST, 2 November 2015

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Tom Bradby has been credited with giving ITV’s News At Ten a huge ratings boost over the past few weeks, with the BBC now planning a revamp of its own 10pm bulletin.

Viewing figures for the ITV bulletin have soared by 500,000 since Mr Bradby – described by one BBC executive as ‘the housewives’ choice’ - began presenting it on October 12.

The BBC is responding by giving its News At Ten show a makeover, which will include making it longer, according to insiders.

Tom Bradby (pictured) has been credited with giving ITV’s News At Ten such a ratings boost that the BBC has been forced into planning a revamp of its own 10pm bulletin

It regularly pulls in four million viewers a month – two million more than the ITV show.

But to stay out in front, the BBC is reportedly going to give Huw Edwards, the presenter for the past 12 years, and his team a new studio and lengthen the bulletin by seven minutes.

A BBC source familiar with the plans told The Times: ‘[Director-General] Tony Hall is a former newsman and wants more news in prime time. The aim is to make the programme more distinctive from the Six [o’clock news bulletin], more flagship.’

One BBC insider told the paper: ‘Tom is the housewives’ choice.’ And another said that Robert Peston, the former BBC Economics Editor who’s joining ITV as its political editor in January, could ‘make an impact’ on viewing figures.

Mr Bradby, 48 - a good friend of Prince William - is viewed as the rising star at ITV News, after taking over as political editor from Nick Robinson in 2005.

The experienced journalist was the first person to interview Prince William and Kate Middleton after they got engaged in 2010, on the specific request of the Prince.

It was Mr Bradby who sparked the News of the World phone-hacking scandal in 2005, when he told police that a reporter had listened in on messages exchanged between him and William.

More recently, he became an unlikely hate figure in the US when American Twitter users confused him with top NFL quarterback Tom Brady, who was suspended for misconduct.

In August Mr Bradby heroically jumped into the sea in an effort to save the life of a drowning man in Greece.

The journalist jumped into the sea fully clothed after an elderly man drove his car off a harbour in an apparent suicide bid.

To stay out in front, the BBC is reportedly going to give presenter Huw Edwards (pictured) and his News At Ten team a new studio in London and lengthen the bulletin by seven minutes

Bradby, 48, recounted the tragic event in a series of tweets, describing how he was left ‘shaking with shock’ afterwards.

The Times speculates that the revamp plans would see News At Ten moved into the basement of the Broadcasting House, the BBC’s London headquarters, and Newsnight moved out.

The BBC refused to comment on the matter.

A BBC spokesperson said: ‘We are proud that more than four million people a night have been tuning into our Ten O'Clock News bulletin for 10 years. We are always aiming to offer them the best possible news analysis from home and abroad.’

The news output of the BBC is currently under intense scrutiny, with John Whittingdale, the culture secretary, recently questioning why its news at 10 bulletin goes out at the same time as ITV’s.

He also criticised its online output.

He told Radio 4’s The Media Show: ‘The BBC should stop behaving like a newspaper, and get rid of written content from its website.

'The fact that you can access content which looks like long-form journalism on the BBC website is clearly something [newspapers] are unhappy about, and raises this question as to whether or not the BBC should be essentially entering the printed news market and that, I think, is a legitimate concern for them to express.’