One of Graham Norton’s TV projects is facing a major setback, with the show suffering a sharp drop in viewers and now being quietly pulled from primetime.

The new ITV series, which launched just weeks ago, was tipped to be a big hit for the broadcaster.

But early reactions were far from glowing, with critics and viewers alike slamming it as ‘dreadful’ and ‘drivel,’ and the ratings quickly followed suit.

Now, it’s been confirmed that The Neighbourhood has been moved out of its prime 9pm slot, in what many are seeing as a significant blow to the show’s future.

The reality competition, which sees real-life households move in beside each other and take on a series of bizarre challenges, from hunting garden gnomes to being strapped to washing lines, got off to a shaky start when it debuted at the end of April.

Viewing figures peaked at just 540,000, before slipping to around 500,000 by its third episode, a disappointing performance for ITV, and one that puts it behind shows like Celebrity Big Brother in the same slot last year.

In an unusual move, ITV has already released the full series on its streaming platform ITVX, while also shifting the remaining episodes to a later timeslot, airing around 10:45pm on weekdays and 10pm at weekends.

The switch effectively bumps the show from its key primetime position, with repeats of Long Lost Family and Beat the Chasers stepping in instead.

An ITV spokesperson said the series will continue to air in an evening slot, but fans aren’t convinced.

Social media reaction has been mixed, with some viewers suggesting the show is being allowed to ‘die a slow death’ ahead of an expected cancellation, while others admitted they gave up after just a couple of episodes.

There are still some defenders, however, who insist the format improves as it goes on, though whether that will be enough to save it remains to be seen.

Either way, it marks an unusually rocky outing for Norton, whose TV projects typically fare far better with audiences.