you should have voted a few more times if you are not happy with the result. The one who gets the most votes win - I think both girls deserved to win, but I felt sorry that Sophie was just pushed out of the picture

Some of voted as much as we could have afforded Are you saying that we have no right to be disappointed that our favourites didn't win?

Of course not Unigal, I would've been gutted in your shoes.....but some, like yourself, are gracious in defeat......

Then there are those that are....well not...

Thank you for saying so. It's nice when people are gracious in winning too - bad winners are just as bad as bad losers.

If you didn't see stage prescence in her Mamb Italiano performance tonight or from a few weeks ago or Cry Me a River or Just a little girl in week 2 then what is it you're looking for? The panel knew that Stephanie in the first few weeks was the best singer and dancer but also knew that if she got to the final on that alone she would probably beat Danielle or Lauren so they set her up with a man's Mr Bojangles song. It worked and in the sing off she came unstuck against Steph's better acting.

Connie, Lee and Jody didn't have the best or most convincing vocals in the first three competitions but like Danielle they were the most consistent. Over the Rainbow has been the most wide open of all these shows but overall Danielle has had the stage prescence and was generally the most natural performer of all the girls.

Dorothy is a role that lends itself to a more natural acting ability.
It is undeniable that Danielle has such ability.Her dancing was always well interpreted and her voice plainly more that just acceptable.
But we are talking small differences at a high level.She deserved it based on those marginal differences.

However it may be than Danielle might not be as Versatile.
Its not going to happen,but Lauren for example could do Dorothy on Danielle's day off,and if you'd never seen TWOZ before,you'd think she was fantastic.Similarly with Sophie.
But Danielle is more right for the part than either of them,given the exposure of OTR.

But the West End is a shifting sand of one musical and then another.You may be right for one,but quite unsuitable for something else.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0-um0pHTAg

I beg you and all the other Danielle naysayers to please watch Judy Garland sing this, and then decide who had the best vocal. The banashee wailing by some of the girls at the end of the song is just so so wrong, it defeats the object of the song.
Its all down to the ghastly female singers like Houston, Carey and their ilk, who sing without passion, but are seen as the bench mark for many of the girls nowadays.

She was the only one performed naturally with Tinman,Scarecrow and Cowardly Lion on the show.Definitely the perfect Dorothy.

That was what swayed me to vote for her too. She just was Dorothy.

*applauds enthusiastically* spot on, Kosar. To be fair, Danielle went for the money notes a bit too much for my liking, too, but not as much as the others. And I'm damned sure that Sheila Hancock would agree, because she got quite irritated with the audience for applauding those big notes in every song. Sigh. Well, as you say, it's expected these days, but thanks for posting that clip, to remind us that it can be sung with emotion, but without emoting.

I agree that the public did pick the wrong Dorothy. I was completely underwhelmed hearing her sing OTR (both times) and cringed at how the song showed up her glaring vocal inadequacy - again!

Fingers crossed for her sake that she gets intensive training before her debut or she'll be slated by the critics. I wonder how many people voted before they heard her sing it and after hearing her won't be rushing out to buy a ticket - i know i won't.

Saying that i don't think Sophie did a good job either. Both girls were woefully lacking in comparison to Laurens version, who was wrong for the role and yet totally outshone the top two imo with her effortless vocal.

I still think ALW may live to regret some of the girls he let go earlier on. Particularly Stephanie, Steph and Jessica who i think would all have brought something different and totally unique to the role.

Oh well. Saying all that Danielle did win fair and square and has the time to work on her voice. I wish her the best of luck.

Excellent point Unigal . Both girls are winners. I thought overall Sophie is the more convincing Dorothy. When the three girls were interacting with the Tinman, Lion etc tonight Sophie was the more convincing, but I thought Danielle edged it singing Over the Rainbow.

Remember also its a percentage of the public that favoured Danielle. Unless the BBC release the numbers or percentages who voted we will never know how close the voting was.

Man, there is so much bitterness here, this is the first time in 4 series that the contestant I wanted has won but never once would I have critisized the other (or winner) so much

I dont think there was any way the public COULD vote for the wrong Dorothy, as the last 3 girls would all have done justice to the part.

Never my personal choice, I wish Danielle a great opening night!.....

And the other 10 girls should be applauded for some excellent performances, and hope to see them on stage soon....

I think the right Dorothy won the final. Steph was the best overall!

Really??? i see her as one of the least stage-school types I've ever seen in a competition like this. Oh well, agree to disagree and all that...