I didn't see the first two series, so just wondered if everyone knew the winner before the show went out?

Not as far as I know. I never found out anyway.

They weren't revealed but I think it's more down to the beeb coming to an arrangement with the press rather than them being decent.

Would you want to know who wins before the final night?

There were rumours about 2 girls being in the final and considering the final 7 (halfway through the show) consisted of 5 men and two women, it was easy to tell Michelle and Ruth would make the final!

The BBC dont have an arrangement. The press dont reveal it because people would avoid their publication if they started spoiling it.

I knew 4 weeks before the final went out that Michelle had won, through a friend. Haven't got a clue how they found out though as I'm pretty sure the press didn't leak it.

Isn't there a big hoo har going on with the beeb and the press at the moment about EE stories being leaked to the press?

I'm not saying they have an arrangement, but I've heard in the past of deals being made in order to stop the press revealing certain things about the outcome of certain shows

There's no way you could know 4 weeks before the final went out - the decision on the winner isn't taken until just before the final episode is aired

This was my understanding.

It is possible to know the final two, but the decision as to the winner isn't made until much nearer the final.

The two finalists work for Sir Alan for six months before he makes his final decision. That decision is made in the week that the final episode goes out. The final episode is filmed with both of them being hired and has its final edit either the day or the day before it goes out.

So if someone's told you that they know who's won... they're fibbing.

I believe he filmed them both getting fired. I am sure I read that somewhere

I guess it was a lucky guess then