I can just about filter out the clapping and have attuned my ears not to hear most of the singing, but anything in the way of whooping or cheering gets my dander right up.

That's interesting, so at what time did they start recording the whole show?
I've seen the studios at Granada, I'd imagine the situation is something similar at the BBC.
In "real life" the studios aren't as big as they seem on the TV screen, so I imagine part of the reason they try to get more audience reaction is because there isn't enough room for more than a few hundred.

It's the same across all channels, studio managers want audiences to give the impression that what they are watching is better than it really is.

The worst is X-factor, I can't understand why the audience goes ape over a lot of performers who actually can't sing.

I even saw Len and Alesha clapping through the music of last night's dance-off...

When the dancers line up at the beginning my OH has pointed out that Flavia always claps along on a different beat to everyone else.
I must say it irritates me when the audience claps through the dances and it must be distracting for the dancers when they are trying to count.

Actually, if you watch the judges during the World Champs dance they too were clapping along.

There was a lot of audience clapping on the "wrong beat" last night.
Why can't they take their cue from the drummer?

It really spoilt the cadence of one tune.