Charley dissed the corned beef (the tastiest of all canned meats).
Ashley had never encountered it before and was swept up in Charly's unfounded disgust for the bully beef

Charley's attitude could be taken as unBritish.

The traitor

SPAM SPAM SPThis is AMoutrageSPAMous!

Lovely SPAM SPAM SPAM! SPAM! SPAM SPAM! SPAM!


SPAM!

You speak of traitors!

SPAM! Lovely SPAM SPAM SPAM! Wonderful SPAM SPAM.

Could be that, if its really close.

Many people also make up their mind at the point where its closest - in the final.

Either way it negates Ashley's lead over the whole series because they both did well in the final. That may be a shame if you think Ashley should win on points, or, if you think that Charlie showed that she could have done all the trials she wasn't given, it may just level an unlevel playing field and sweep away a false assumption.

There's also the story factor. As someone said, looking as if its easier for you to arrive at the same end doesn't compel as many votes.

With your criteria, though, its probably still necessary to actually do well in the final. If Ashley beats you and you look distinctly weaker, people have no justification for voting for you. Do at least equally well and they do. Because Ashley is so similar, you have far less room to manouver than you would going up against a David who wouldn't look as if he needed to try, or a Helen who couldn't do it at all, or did it making more of a drama of it.

1. Kiki
2. Kiki
3. Kiki

Enough said

Charlie was my favourite but I didn't vote.

It would have been my fault if Ashley won.

Meanwhile, in other news....................................

I think the fact she was nice was a big reason to but I agree that the fact she's British and is in EE helped her and Kiki may have got her a few votes (But I think think people are over exaggerating how much she was mentioned)

Doesn't matter if people exaggerate how much she was mentioned, it has a lasting effect.

And we could say that if Ashley had won it would have been for these reasons

She is sexy and flirty
The bikini shots
The song and dance act
More air time
Being every man's fantasy woman

We can always find reasons if we want to but the truth is that they were both gutsy go getters and delightful ladies. It was so close. either could have won.

More likely to put me off TBH


Not really

I think that Kiki undoubtedly helped, but Charlie also had the familiarity of Eastenders and thirdly she's more relatable to many viewers than Ashley.

Anyway, Charlie's not a bad winner, so I don't mind or care that much really. Because if your favourite is second you get as much coverage of them anyway, and it's not like they win a huge prize, so I'm happy Ashley was second. A perfect year would have been a Hugo win, Ashley second, maybe Eric third, put until reality TV is tailored to every viewers wishes I doubt I'll get my way.

Well done Charlie.

She only won because a lot of people have a mania for that dreadful programme Eastenders for some reason & anything to do with it is fine by them.

A disappointing finale, but not a bad series. The final two were just so full of their media training it was exhausting to watch. If I have to hear about "incredible journeys" one more time I'll shoot someone.

I'd have liked Eric to stay in, with the two characters who brought out the very best in him. Helen and Rosemary.

If she wasn't in Eastenders she wouldn't have made it past the first 4/5 votes, it's the Eastenders that gave her the platform to victory. Kiki and the British factor are irrelevant.

But Eastenders hasn't really been of an advantage to previous contestants.

Look at the track record of all the previous Eastenders actors who have appeared on IAC and you'll see what I mean.
Eastenders actors in general haven't had such a great record.

Only Joe Swash and Charlie have won.
But look at how all the others fared.

The minute Kiki was turned into a storyline every episode of the last week won it for her.

Next year all anyone needs to do is talk about their son/daughter and it's in the bag!

Only if the child is winsome and cute, and actually there in Oz so they can put her in the show.

Although I think that they'll be more careful about how they do that next time. That said, it's all very well criticising the producers but I'm not sure why no one having ago a the person who agreed that Kiki could do it?

I agree. I think Charlie did well in the final. Arguably slightly better than Ashley on the day.

When it gets to the day of a final I suppose it's a bit like the travelator on the old series of The Gladiators.
One of them is brilliant all the way through the early rounds and looks like the hot favourite.
Then in the final it all comes down to the travelator and the hot favourite trips up on it and negates all of that massive lead they had in the earlier rounds in one moment.

The year Sid Owen was in it though was the year that the glorious (most deserving winner ever) Carol Thatcher was in! I doubt even the sainted 'Dot Cotton' could have beaten Thatcher. Any other year - and Sid would have stood a chance. I know Lucy Benjamin was in one year - but she hardly made an impact on EE did she? I doubt even EE fans recognised her.

That's going to help in terms of people being familiar with who you are. You aren't going to be seen as some obscure figure from the past who the general public can barely remember.
But that wouldn't be good enough on its own.

You still have to be a decent contender as well.

Just look at the past record of previous Eastenders actors on IAC and you'll see that many of them did quite poorly.
Swash won, Sid Owen came 3rd. Then Gaffney came 5th.....

.....But then it makes for frightening reading when you see the likes of;
Danniella Westbrook 9th out of 10
Elaine Lordon 12th out of 12
Mark Bannerman 11th out of 12
Lucy Benjamin 11th out of 13

Being on Eastenders didn't help them win did it?
Familiarity will no doubt help quite a lot, but you still need to be someone who the public will like a lot as well.

totally agree. Ashley should have won

Most definitely! Her American nationality was always going to be an obstacle for her in terms of winning.

The English vote won it for her and I honestly think that is the reason. Ashley had the better personality and I thought came across a bit better. Fair play to Charlie but it wasn't my favourite winner.

Rubbish, she won for one reason only, because she was better than anyone else in there. What is it with the Charlie haters? She done nothing wrong in there, she gave it everything. Ashley is lovely, but the best girl won, it has nothing to do with the 3 measly excuses above.

She wasn't better than Eric or Ashley.

She really was..and that's why she won.

All I've seen today is lame excuses from sore losers.

Charlie is delightful, funny, intelligent, gutsy and down to earth....Queen of the Jungle 2012.

Time to move on.