Hello all.

Does anyone know what the format for the show will be for the final?

Is there a sing-off for places 2 and 3 and then a gap and then a phone vote for places 1 and 2 or is there a simple single phone vote and then an announcement of the winner?

Doesn't seem to be any info on the BBC website...

I can't answer definitively, but the last two series phone-lines were open during the entire show and the least popular person went at the end of the first part of the final. After the break the last two battle it out until Nancy is chosen. I imagine it'll be the same this year as well. Can't wait!!!

Didn't Connie appear on the show last year? I wonder if Lee will do the same.

thanks Cassie. Do you remember at what time the lines closed during the second show? I just thinking about how much time the supporters of the third placed Nancy will have to vote on another choice...

Apparently he's singing with the Olivers

Lovely!!!

any other pearls of proverbial?

I was looking at the Joseph site to remind me of the running order for ADWD. I couldn't even begin to pretend to remember everything so this is what the News page says happened.

The final 3 sang 2 new solos each (a pop/rock number and a Big Band number) and a group song together in the first show. Then Connie sang. Then there was the eviction and Close Every Door. The results kicked off with the final 2 singing their favourite song and then there was the group number with all the Josephs. A duet with the final 2 and then the result and Lee's finale.

Does that mean each girl will have 2 new solos on Saturday?

Hopefully we'll get a group performance from the ex-Nancys, a song from the ex-Olivers, and maybe a duet from Connie and Lee?

In terms of voting, apparently, according to the MEN

http://blogs.manchestereveningnews.c...jessie_an.html

"Unlike the rest of the series, the phone voting lines will open at the very start of tomorrow’s first live show. They will later be “frozen” when the Nancy with the lowest number of votes will be eliminated. Voting lines will then re-open for the final two girls but the votes accumulated for them over the entire course of the evening will still count."

In that case, I bet they'll put Jodie up last.

Another FM said that Lee was coming back to do a group song with the Olivers? Not sure if Connie will make an appearance.

I bet they'll do I'd Do Anything as a group song again!

The change in format seems to blow the competition even more open than it already is, especially given that it starts so early.

Actually, last seems to be the 'favoured' slot in the final. Both Connie and Lee went last in their respective finals, and they both won!

It depends when the voting starts. If the lines are open from the beginning of the show, then it's better to go on first. If they open after all the performances are over, it's better to be last.

In the semi final of Maria, they had the lines open right from the start, which meant that Aoife, who went on last, only got about ten minutes or something after her performance for her supporters to vote for her. It was very unfair actually.

The voting begins at the start of the show, I presume. I can't see that the order of performances will make much of a difference to who wins based on the voting beginning at the start of the show, though I don't mean to say it's completely negligable. What will make a difference (I think), or certainly has the potential to do so, is that it starts at 6pm. (Slightly bitter about this as I don't finish work till then so will miss the first 15 mins !) This, I think, is the disadvantage for the first act out.

So perhaps it all balances out in the end.

That will make a huge difference. Assuming Jodie is favourite to win the initial vote, it leaves either Sam or jessie to go out. My guess is that Sam's voters will turn to Jessie..or vice-versa. It could be very close indeed...

thanks for that, does any one know what numbers the girls will have tomorrow???

Ooh yeah, what a bummer to whoever comes on last in terms of getting in votes!

There is no advantage to going first in the final when the phonelines are open from the beginning of the programme! As I said in my previous post, going last didn't do Connie or Lee any harm!

As for Aoife - her supporters had the whole of the semi-final show to vote for her! If they were her supporters already, they wouldn't have waited (or needed to wait) for her to perform before voting! That's where most votes in the latter stages of the competition come from - people who have already made their choice of who to support!

I'd love for Graham to announce at the beginning of tomorrow night's show that for one night only the Republic of Ireland could vote! Run away victory for Jessie!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/oliver/news/2008/05/30/55294.shtml

I think this just mirrors what was said before, but here it is anyway!

Imagine if it's Jodie who is knocked out first tomorrow night

In the event of any problems with the telephone vote the BBC will use its contingency plans , which may involve the use of a back up independent jury.

oooh it sounds ominous. i'm kind of taking this as a if we're not happy with who wins we will override it.

but are everyones numbers known at the beginning? i suspect people can figure it out.