I always assumed this to be the case, but another poster somewhere assumed that they just picked anyone at random along with the one going out. Anyone know this for sure?

I think it is often random

It's definitely not the case, last year when tony Hadley went he was in the bottom two with ferne but when the actual voting percentages came out she was actually second in the public vote

There you go. Brings the question how and why do they choose, as it might encourage more people to vote for them if they thought they might be in danger of going next (if they were like me and thought wrong)?

As far as I know it's a random choice.

I don't think it is random. IIRC from past years, most of the time it is the actual bottom two but, for some reason, they occasionally throw in a wildcard.

Have they revealed this is what they do? It would be interesting to know the truth.

I've just been looking over other series and that seems to be the case. More often than not it does tend to be the bottom two, but I think on occasion they throw in someone else's name, perhaps to make them seem in danger and increase votes for them (but that's just the cynic in me ).

It does seem in more recent years to be more random than before though, so perhaps they've decided to mix it up. In some past series it was always the bottom two named as in danger.

Let's just say, I don't think you're being cynical

Looking at the year of Mark Wright is interesting. One day he topped the vote, the next he was second to Dougie, the next day he was third out of six in the vote yet was in the 'bottom two'. The day after that? Why, he topped the vote again

I think that year was the first time I really noticed the producer push for their favourite. Everything was geared towards Mark winning, it was so obvious. I had to laugh when Dougie pipped him to the post

They release the voting percentages at the end of the series so it's easy to check.

Thanks carnoch.

So more often then not it isn't random. I've noticed that the second from last doesn't often go after the next vote. I hope it's true for Carol and Jordan goes next. I know it's a pity they haven't given him more airtime but he appeals to me least out of them all.

It is mostly the real bottom two but maybe twice a series they throw in a wildcard for whatever reason.

I'm pretty sure the 'it could be yous' are the real bottom 2, anything else would be inaccurate and could be seen as manipulating the vote. They've very little to gain by lying.

On some occasions it hasn't been

Until I see proof I don't believe it. There is no point - the top and bottom spots can radically change from show to show without any manipulation from the producers.

Look at the percentages from previous years, it's a fact. Last year Tony Hadley and ferne mcann were bottom two on one occasion but when the percentages were actually released she was second in the vote and nowhere near the bottom two...

ferne- 16.63%(second)
Tony- 8.55%(sixth)

It happens. The figures are there for all to see. It's not manipulating the vote because they always say that it is in no particular order.

Based on previous series the "might be yous" are not necessarily the bottom 2 in terms of public vote percentages.

More often than not, it's the bottom two, but sometimes they 'trick' us.
The show - Ant & Dec - should make this very clear to us. That the 'bottom two' isn't necessarily the bottom two, but they clearly use it to their advantage to manipulate voters.

Last year:
Duncan named bottom two when he was 7th/10. Chris was actually 9th, and he went home the next night. Might have stayed had he had the opportunity of a 'bounce back' vote.
Tony named in the bottom two the next night, when he was 6th/9. Lady C was actually in the bottom two that night (she withdrew later that day - probably would've been out the next day had she stayed).
Ferne named in the bottom two when she was 2nd/6. Jorgie was actually in the bottom two, and like Chris, went home the following night.

Perhaps by saying that it is in "no particular order" before announcing the results?

Most of the time it IS the case but for a couple series it's random.

Except some viewers don't think the so called 'bottom two' is still in no particular order - you only have to see the several threads made on this forum every year asking the question to know that people are unsure.

By telling someone "it might you", of course viewers are going to assume that they were in the bottom two. Either put the REAL bottom two there every single night, or make it clear that the person is "randomly" chosen.

If they didn't want to manipulate us, why not make it clear?
If they didn't want to manipulate us, why change the bottom two at all? Why do they only do it sometimes, yet not every time?
They only do it when it suits them. Why?

That is their problem. They don't hide the fact. They say it every day and publish the votes at the end. Why they do it, I don't know but they do not hide the fact.

When there's thousands of people discussing the show on social media and forums such as this one, and when they all believe the bottom two is really the bottom two, then clearly there's a problem and it is somewhat hidden from the viewers.

What good is finding out once the show is over via the voting figures? No good at all.

They do it on purpose to try and edge their desired result. It's no coincidence that for the past THREE YEARS, the celebrity second from bottom who WAS NOT named in the bottom two went home the next night.

It also happened in series 12 (four years ago) on several people - Linda, Colin and Eric all went home as a result of it. The only person not to was Charlie (5th out of 6, but not named in the bottom two).

She's the only person in four years not to be sent home the next night after not being named in the bottom two. Very telling results and very easy for the producers to manipulate the outcome they want by naming - or not naming - the real bottom two.