[quote=Relly;76064138]I think that the BIB is key. You're spot on. The BBC saying it isn't required to disclose the info is very outdated for this day and age. It reminds me of the old council and public services saying "Like it or lump it." (eg years ago, BT quoted three weeks for a landline phone repair, or British Gas not even bothering to answer the phone, all because they had no competition).

The BBC's reluctance to publish the figures and to be accountable publicly just makes me think they're engineering the whole show. Yes, I know we're psychologically manipulated via various means, but if (eg) Simon, being a 3xtimes Bottom 2 person, has actually topped the voters' board every week but the BBC has put him in the Bottom 2 just for drama I'd be very disappointed with the whole shebang.

I know it's scripted reality TV to an extent, such as the judges' comments, but to find out it isn't actually based on us phoning in would be a severe disappointment. The



That is one of the reasons why I would never bother to vote. I live in Bonn so I cannot vote but if I could, I would not as I think this is SHOW BUSINESS pure and simple and it is all scripted and manipulated. We have no idea who is actually the most popular dancer and we will never know what the actually voting figures are, so why bother to vote at all. I enjoy the programme each year but quite honestly, if Fred or Mary win, well it is not going to change my life, is it?????


Reminds me of the competitions that Dec and Ant had on their weekend show, it was fixed and people were basically throwing money out the window as they had no hope of winning anything. I see making telephone votes for X Factor or SCD exactly in the same light

This is my point SPOTY published their figures they were not worrying about upsetting sportspeople, the "celebs" in strictly get paid shed loads of money to take part they surely wouldnt mind the figures being known, its all a bit suspect.

There were some figures for what was raised for Children in Need. Not a complete record, but at least one year when the amount raised week by week was announced. What was obvious was that the voting numbers went up every week. Early weeks it was only a few thousand, by the final it was somewhere around a million as I recall. Should be recorded somewhere.

What figures have leaked since confirm that. These were mostly partial pictures, maybe from one phone company. What has changed in the past couple of years is the on line vote. The reduction from 5 to 3 suggests it was being used more than the BBC anticipated first year. The overall effect is probably to boost votes throughout. It has become a case of where a pool of online votes go rather than vote or not. If anything that may mean more "in danger" saving than there used to be.

After previous scandals about rigged votes the BBC voting show producers are paranoid about an accurate count. That part is not fixed. However, the dance order, the dance and music choice, the structure of the judges ordering, the dance off and knowledge of the actual vote numbers gives then far more control over who stays in than appears to be the case. Derren Brown uses similar techniques at times, it appears to be a free choice, but it's heavily steered if you work out the maths and always know more than the public think you do.

Question. Just out of curiosity, Can I legally demand in a civil court that Strictly release the public's voting numbers?

On the Series 3 final, Bruce certainly said how much had been raised over the series for CIN. It was one and a half million pounds. He also said that there had been 5 million votes on the final and less distinctly but unmistakeably said to Darren that 'three and a half million for you' so there was certainly transparency then.

I'm not sure whether on the series 4 final a total amount of money was specified but Bruce said on the final 'over 12 million people have voted', there was confusion whether he meant the series or the final, it was probably the series.

I see no reason why percentages at least can't be released. Actual numbers are not necessary but percentages would be nice.

No. No, you cannot.

This has been covered several times in the past. The BBC doesn't make any money from the phone-in. It all goes to BT.

There have been entire threads dedicated to it on umpteen occasions. One in particular was quite vociferous but it was confirmed that in fact, they do not make any money.

Unless something has changed drastically in the last few years, of course. But I highly doubt it.