That's as maybe, but she's got a record deal, and winning doesn't always guarantee a singer will last in the real world. The singers who get booted out are the real winners.

The singers who are left in the contest are good for sport only

A record company's knowledge that a contestant was always languishing near the bottom of the pack will influence the size of the contract they offer. With a contestant who has gone out in ninth place and is shown to have been consistently near the bottom of the pack, the contract will be small with little budget for production and promotion.

As for the other contestants being purely for sport, I'm sure there are several contestants, such as a Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood to name just two, who are very sorry that they were there simply for sport

I do wish Pia fans would stop clutching at ludicrous straws.

Why would it be so bad that she was pleased? It would be different if she was dancing round the girl shouting "easy!easy!"

aaaand the backlash begins.

My two favourite contestants (as you can tell from my previous posts) were Pia and Haley. I've seen that clip a lot of times (Pia's last performance) because couldn't believe she went. Haley's smile just looked like a genuine smile - she was happy Pia was going out with a bang. Half the other contestants were smiling too.

Haley deserves to still be standing. She's one of the only five contestants who have never finished bottom of the vote.;

The smile we're talking about it straight after Pia is told she's eliminated, it flashes to the contestants who all look shocked except Haley who is grinning away. :sleep:

I don't think Haley looked pleased at all, but even if she was, could you blame her?!

The female who had been proclaimed "one to beat" had just been knocked out!

Yes, I'm not sure people are talking about the same thing? I thought this was referring to when they pan to her immediately after pia was eliminated, when her mouth is open but pleased and smiling.

Yes, when I first replied on this thread I was referring to a later occasion, I hadn't noticed that first shot of her.

Having said that, smiling as a conscious decision at someone's misfortune is smug and unsportsmanlike but smiling as an instant, uncontrolled reaction to having your main competition unexpectedly knocked out of the running is another matter entirely.

Even assuming it wasn't just a reaction to the absurdity of the situation, I don't think you can blame her for that, at all.

Regards

Julian