Do the BBC ( and ITV for X Factor ) publish the telephone vote statistics anywhere ?

No they don't

I noticed that (for the first time) the BBC published a breakdown of the votes cast in the Sports Personality of the Year- mind you in SCD if they did they would have to abolish the judges' vote/dance off

Why? In 'Maria' and 'Joseph' Andrew Lloyd Webber got the final decision between the last 2, but they always said who had got the lowest number of votes. They told him just before he decided and he ignored the vote if he wanted to. I can see why the BBC want to keep the vote secret while the series is going on - it would colour how people would vote the week after - but I don't see any reason why they can't say afterwards who got what percentages. The judges won't care if they disagreed with the vote.

Sorry if I've misunderstood what you were saying?

I agree with you. I think Lloyd had a vested interest in knowing how the public voted because an unpopular Joseph or Maria wouldn't sell tickets. But it also seemed more honest somehow didn't it?

It does annoy me that we spend our money week after week voting and they keep in who they like!