LOL..true enough ....but there are certain patterns (rules)
Rule 1 - If your favorite is at the bottom of the leaderboard then you're much more likely to vote for them.

I'm not saying Gethin would defintely have won the final (tho I suspect he would have done)
Last year Matt Dawson topped the poll in semi after being bottom of the leaderboard...beating Ramps....Ramps won the final, easily I suspect.

Then that's what they deserve!! They should also be made to pay back any vote money they've earn't from callers this year who have wasted their money (if indeed Geth was top )

Matt could have been top, with Gethin 2nd and Alesha 3rd. Gethin could even have been 3rd with Letitia 2nd and Matt 1st.

Um, how do you know that Matt was second last week behind Gethin?

Gethin = 4+3 = 7
Alesha = 3+2 = 5
Letitia = 2+1 = 3
Matt = 1 + 4 = 5

Or any other variation could easily have happened.

It's fact. From my own calculations.

By the way, how can anyone say anything constructive in these type of threads? Gethins gone. Lets just rejoice.

We know Gethin beat Alesha last week, despite Gethin being top and Alesha in a more dangerous second, now Gethin is dead last and Alesha top we're expected to believe that Alesha got more votes? It makes no sense!

Could of been yes but he wasn't he was second behind Gethin. I have bookie friends who get ahem tips from insiders

I'm sorry you cannot know that Matt was second behind Gethin last week. Gethin could have been second behind Matt (in the public vote).

And I second Ashrell's point, lets keep this as a well articulated argument.

Exactly. I think some people have underestimated Matts popularity.

Unfortunately, you cannot construct an argument based on "bookie insider" tips. I have friends in the BBC entertainment industrie and they say it wasn't a fix. As we both could be lying, and on top of it could be "series killers", we need to concentrate on the facts that are in front of us.

PS: For what it's worth, I'm sorry Gethin left. They were three good semi-finalists. I would have loved to see their show dance.

I wish these topics would give it a rest. Matt was fantastic last night, the judges made the right choice.

If you read my post you'd know I was making a different point. I am saying its ridiculous a oublic favourite can be eliminated from a public voting talent show.

There are bound to be lots of people who are perfectly happy with last night's result - but remember, if they keep this system in place, next year it could be your favorite that goes out.

Any system that even has the possibility of excluding the most popular contestant from the final based on the dictates of 4 people and their various inconsistencies is just WRONG. Even more so when it's supposed to be about raising money for charity!

I completely agree with that point, but what we're objecting to is that you are implying Gethin was robbed of his place when you are basing it on uncertain facts, and saying things like Matthew C is a 'far better' winner than Flavia.

Were you saying the format was ridiculous all week, when the format for the semi was revealed and it could have affected all the contestants equally? Or did you only start yesterday when your favourite had gone out?

The sad pity of last night's result was that for the first time in any round, the viewers' vote was virtually irrelevant to who went out. When they learn what happened, the public is going to be seriously miffed.

It's always been wrong to give the judges 2 opportunities to impose their will on the results at the expense of the viewing (and paying) public.

No one should have to justify why they vote or for whom - it's your money so spend it how you see fit.

The point of reality TV is that the audience has a say and whether the judges are happy about it or not, it should always be the public's choice.

Had Matt or Gethin been saved we would have known who had topped the voted so wouldn't be complaining much, as it is we don't know much at all

I'm left wondering what would have happened had Alesha and Matt tied at the top, there would have been no point voting for Gethin at all in that instance

Exactly, Vesuvius. The phone companies must be laughing their heads off. Where exactly does the other half go anyway?

Truefully I have said it all week!!

To be honest, the level of moaning this morning is a fair reflection that people are not happy with the system. People have said had Matt gone matt fans would not have been up in arms - thats probably because there is less Matt fans (see fav polls).

Maybe it's just because we are so much nicer.

Anyway, I've not been happy with the system before, and I don't like the fact that the judges have the final say (I have been saying that all along. Leave it up to the public vote, but then people will complain if a good dancer leaves early. You cannot win. Maybe we need to wait until tonight, and see how the dance off looks like.

This is hooey. To avoid the dance-off Alesha must have come top of the viewer vote.

We don't know who got the most votes out of Matt & Gethin - I suspect Gethin got more. But the judges saved the dancer who was better on the night. It could have gone either way depending on the dances. Sometimes Matt's danced better than Gethin & sometimes vice versa.

I think people may have not voted for Alesha previously, thinking she was safe. And after the dance-off last week, Alesha fans realised they had to vote for her to make sure she went though.

surely Alesha would have been in the bottom two if the votes last week are what you're judging it by

it changes week by week, there's no way to tell!

No, quite the opposite: it's always right to give professional dance judges the veto in a dance competition.

The public voting skews it towards personal favourites which often has much to do with who's fancied the most & rather than dance ability.

I mean Darren - honestly. Nice guy, just not nearly as good as Zoe or Colin.