By . Liz Thomas and Nick Enoch . PUBLISHED: . 19:40 EST, 29 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 08:40 EST, 30 May 2012 . Millions of television viewers saw her naked in Sherlock  - and millions more watched her on BBC's iPlayer. Such has been the pull of actress Lara Pulver in the episode A Scandal In Belgravia that it has become the most watched show on the catch-up service this year. Her character, Irene Adler, appeared nude (except for high heels) in the detective show, which was seen by 2.5million viewers online. This was 600,000 more than the next most watched show, which was the third instalment of Sherlock, The Reichenbach Fall. Lara Pulver as Irene Adler in Sherlock - the most watched show on BBC's iPlayer this year so far . The episode, A Scandal In Belgravia (starring Benedict Cumberbatch, left) has been seen online by 2.5million viewers . The arrival of the internet was supposed to herald the end of TV viewing but instead it is fuelling the nation’s addiction to TV shows. And the iPlayer is fuelling the boom in online viewing with an average of 190million programmes a month watched on the service between January and April this year. This is jump of 24 per cent on 2011 with Sherlock leading demand to watch shows again or to catch up on them later. Although more than eight million watched the programme on television, the average number of iPlayer requests across the series topped 2 million per show. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock is one of the BBC’s biggest hits but its success online may be down to its cryptic ending. It is thought thousands watched the series back to try to uncover clues as to how Holmes was able to fake his own death. Show creator Steven Moffat has added to the suspense by posting comments and hints such as a clue is in the fact that Holmes did 'something out of character'. He added: ‘So many people theorising - and they missed it.’ One fan wrote on his blog Barefoot on Baker Street: ‘Moffat has revealed that fans have ‘missed a vital clue’ - which has made us all turn to BBC iPlayer, Sky Plus etc and watch the whole thing again in the hope of being the one to solve the mystery, a mystery worthy of the great detective himself. The episode, entitled The Reichenbach Fall, was based on the 1893 Arthur Conan Doyle book The Final Problem, in which the author famously killed off the eccentric detective. Viewers watch Holmes view his own funeral from a distance after minutes earlier appearing to leap to his death from a tower block. Within minutes social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook were flooded with fans offering conspiracy theories and explanations. Many admitted they had watched the episodes repeatedly to try and work out how he could have survived. Moffat has said all would be made clear in the third series, which will broadcast later this year. On the rise: A BBC spokesperson said they had seen a 94 per cent rise in the number of people using iPlayer on mobile phones or tablets . Sherlock was by far the most popular programme to watch online in the year to date, with The Voice, The Apprentice and Top Gear all downloaded around 1-1.5 million times after they aired on the BBC. For radio programmes, Radio 4’s The Now Show, and Chris Moyles Breakfast Show were the most popular to listen again to. A spokesman for ITV said people watched 376 million programmes on its ITV Player service, an increase from 261 million in 2010. Most popular shows include Downton Abbey, The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent, but the broadcaster has yet to release figures for this year. More and more people are watching on tablets, iPads,mobile phones and modern televisions as technology improves. A BBC spokesman said it had seen a 94 per cent jump in the number of people using iPlayer on mobiles and tablets, and last month they accounted for 15 per cent of the online catch up viewing. It comes after research from media regulator Ofcom revealed traditional TV viewing is at a ten-year high with the average person now watching four hours a week. And the over-55 audience is watching the most - with more than five hours a day spent in front of the box. The watchdog credited the 'Downton Abbey' and 'The X Factor' effect for a boom in traditional viewing. But said that many people 'multi-tasked' while watching television , so would be simultaneously texting, or using social networking sites. The economic crisis has also had an impact on the amount of time spent at home. Strictly Come Dancing and The X Factor have become 'appointment to view' programmes that are talked about as soon as they are broadcast - making it an increasingly social activity.
Actress Lara Pulver appears naked in A Scandal In Belgravia .
190milllon programmes a month seen on iPlayer .
Online viewing up 24 per cent on 2011 .
Corporation says use of iPlayer on mobiles and tablets also up 94 per cent .
By . Liz Thomas and Nick Enoch . PUBLISHED: . 19:40 EST, 29 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 08:40 EST, 30 May 2012 . Millions of television viewers saw her naked in Sherlock  - and millions more watched her on BBC's iPlayer. Such has been the pull of actress Lara Pulver in the episode A Scandal In Belgravia that it has become the most watched show on the catch-up service this year. Her character, Irene Adler, appeared nude (except for high heels) in the detective show, which was seen by 2.5million viewers online. This was 600,000 more than the next most watched show, which was the third instalment of Sherlock, The Reichenbach Fall. Lara Pulver as Irene Adler in Sherlock - the most watched show on BBC's iPlayer this year so far . The episode, A Scandal In Belgravia (starring Benedict Cumberbatch, left) has been seen online by 2.5million viewers . The arrival of the internet was supposed to herald the end of TV viewing but instead it is fuelling the nation’s addiction to TV shows. And the iPlayer is fuelling the boom in online viewing with an average of 190million programmes a month watched on the service between January and April this year. This is jump of 24 per cent on 2011 with Sherlock leading demand to watch shows again or to catch up on them later. Although more than eight million watched the programme on television, the average number of iPlayer requests across the series topped 2 million per show. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock is one of the BBC’s biggest hits but its success online may be down to its cryptic ending. It is thought thousands watched the series back to try to uncover clues as to how Holmes was able to fake his own death. Show creator Steven Moffat has added to the suspense by posting comments and hints such as a clue is in the fact that Holmes did 'something out of character'. He added: ‘So many people theorising - and they missed it.’ One fan wrote on his blog Barefoot on Baker Street: ‘Moffat has revealed that fans have ‘missed a vital clue’ - which has made us all turn to BBC iPlayer, Sky Plus etc and watch the whole thing again in the hope of being the one to solve the mystery, a mystery worthy of the great detective himself. The episode, entitled The Reichenbach Fall, was based on the 1893 Arthur Conan Doyle book The Final Problem, in which the author famously killed off the eccentric detective. Viewers watch Holmes view his own funeral from a distance after minutes earlier appearing to leap to his death from a tower block. Within minutes social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook were flooded with fans offering conspiracy theories and explanations. Many admitted they had watched the episodes repeatedly to try and work out how he could have survived. Moffat has said all would be made clear in the third series, which will broadcast later this year. On the rise: A BBC spokesperson said they had seen a 94 per cent rise in the number of people using iPlayer on mobile phones or tablets . Sherlock was by far the most popular programme to watch online in the year to date, with The Voice, The Apprentice and Top Gear all downloaded around 1-1.5 million times after they aired on the BBC. For radio programmes, Radio 4’s The Now Show, and Chris Moyles Breakfast Show were the most popular to listen again to. A spokesman for ITV said people watched 376 million programmes on its ITV Player service, an increase from 261 million in 2010. Most popular shows include Downton Abbey, The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent, but the broadcaster has yet to release figures for this year. More and more people are watching on tablets, iPads,mobile phones and modern televisions as technology improves. A BBC spokesman said it had seen a 94 per cent jump in the number of people using iPlayer on mobiles and tablets, and last month they accounted for 15 per cent of the online catch up viewing. It comes after research from media regulator Ofcom revealed traditional TV viewing is at a ten-year high with the average person now watching four hours a week. And the over-55 audience is watching the most - with more than five hours a day spent in front of the box. The watchdog credited the 'Downton Abbey' and 'The X Factor' effect for a boom in traditional viewing. But said that many people 'multi-tasked' while watching television , so would be simultaneously texting, or using social networking sites. The economic crisis has also had an impact on the amount of time spent at home. Strictly Come Dancing and The X Factor have become 'appointment to view' programmes that are talked about as soon as they are broadcast - making it an increasingly social activity.
pull of actress Lara Pulver in the episode A this year so far . The episode, A Scandal In with an average of 190million programmes a month this year. This is jump of 24 per cent on 2011 had seen a 94 per cent rise in the number of the number of people using iPlayer on mobiles and