Alec Baldwin's Donald Trump gave SNL 22-year ratings boost

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SNL has seen the number of people watching this season increase by two million
Nielsen's estimate an average of 10.6 million tune in for the latest vicious attack
This week's show was helped by Melissa McCarthy's Sean Spicer impersonation
The Super Bowl, with 111 million viewers, was the most watched show last week

Published: 05:09 EST, 8 February 2017 | Updated: 09:47 EST, 8 February 2017

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Saturday Night Live has recorded its highest ratings in 22 years as a result of its scathing attacks on President Donald Trump and his White House spokesman Sean Spicer.

Alec Baldwin's latest impersonation of the former Apprentice host last Saturday drew an average audience of 10.6 million viewers - an increase of two million on last season.

Trump has regularly expressed his displeasure at his treatment on the late-night show, claiming it is 'unwatchable'.

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Alec Baldwin's impersonation of a crazed Donald Trump has seen two million extra people tune into Saturday Night Live which is enjoying its highest ratings in 22 years

Donald Trump has regularly expressed his displeasure over Baldwin's biting impersonation

Before taking office Trump tweeted that Baldwin's impersonation 'just can't get any worse'

In typical fashion, Trump tweeted: 'Just tried watching Saturday Night Live - unwatchable! Totally biased, not funny and the Baldwin impersonation just can't get any worse. Sad.'

Since Trump's attack, Baldwin's impersonation has become a fixture on the show.

Worse news for the White House administration is that Melissa McCarthy's impersonation of press secretary Sean Spicer last weekend has become an instant classic.

In the important 18-to-49-year-old demographic, only three prime-time shows last week beat Saturday Night Live.

The most recent Nielsen ratings showed that Trump, who was interviewed by Bill O'Reilly ahead of Sunday's Super Bow, attracted 12.2 million people.

Twelve months earlier, 14.9 million tuned in to Gayle King on CBS who was interviewing President Barack Obama.

Stephen Colbert, who is now hosting the Late Show, this week overtook his rival Jimmy Fallon by approximately 100,000 viewers.

However, Colbert's monologue on Monday - his first of the Trump era - attracted four million views on YouTube.

Commenting on the new president's first days in office Colbert said: 'You've got to give the guy credit. He gets a lot of stuff undone.'

Melissa McCarthy, left, has now introduced a cutting impersonation of Donald Trump's White House press secretary Sean Spicer, right, who has been criticized over his performances