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17-12-2008, 01:00 PM
Strictly unwanted: Backlash against 'loser' Tom Chambers as fans call on him to quit show
The voting row on Strictly Come Dancing has sparked an online backlash against Tom Chambers.
The Holby City actor got through to the final after Lisa Snowdon and Rachel Stevens tied for top place in the judges’ scores last Saturday.
Thousands phoned in to save him but their votes were wasted as there was no way for him to escape the dance-off.
Enlarge Not wanted: Tom Chambers and dance partner Camilla Dallerup celebrate after finding out they are going through to the final of Strictly, but now fans are calling on them to quit
Not wanted: Tom Chambers celebrates after finding out he is going through to the final of Strictly, but now fans are calling on him to quit
In the end producers put all three in the final, meaning Chambers, 31, could win despite being the worst dancer last week.
But Strictly fans have turned on him suggesting he do the 'honourable thing' and bow out.
The backlash comes as Strictly bosses revealed their concerns about Tom winning the show.
A BBC source told the Daily Star: 'Tom winning... will be the worse-case scenario for us.
'We've tried to make everything above board and be as fair and open as possible, but we fully expect to take a load more flak if he steals the crown. The whole point of the show depends on people believing that their votes count.
'If they lose that belief we could be in real trouble.'
Tom's dance partner Camilla Dallerup is said to have been left in tears by the controversy.
A source told the Mirror: 'She doesn't want anyone to think they have cheated in any way.'
Tom and Camilla will now join Lisa Snowdon and Brendan Cole, and Rachel Stevens and Vincent Simon, in Saturday's final.
After a public outcry at last week's fiasco, the BBC has decided that the fairest solution is to allow the combined scores from the judges and the viewers' vote from Saturday night to be carried over to the start of the final.
Each couple's marks from the vote will be revealed before the dancing begins and added to the judges scores so that everyone knowns where they stand.
The three pairs will then dance and be scored by the judges. The audience will vote as normal and the results will be added to the leader board.
The couple with the lowest score will then be kicked off, leaving the remaining two to fight it out for the Strictly Come Dancing Champion 2008 crown.
Who wins will be decided completely by the viewers' vote and the judges will have no say at all.
Enlarge Strictly on track: Rachel Stevens and her fiancé Alex Bourne share a kiss outside their north London home
Strictly on track: Rachel Stevens and her fiancé Alex Bourne share a kiss outside their north London home today
In other Strictly news Rachel is said to have been left annoyed by suggestive comments made by judge Arlene Phillips on last week's show.
After Rachel completed her routine Phillips told her: 'If legs could talk they would be giving away many secrets.'
But Rachel, whose fiancé Alex Bourne was in the audience, was 'left fuming' by the suggestion that she was having a fling with partner Vincent Simone.
Source : Daily Mail (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/3830566/Rachel-Stevens-injured-ahead-of-Strictly-Come-Dancing-final.html)
Its the only exciting things she's done all series.
The voting row on Strictly Come Dancing has sparked an online backlash against Tom Chambers.
The Holby City actor got through to the final after Lisa Snowdon and Rachel Stevens tied for top place in the judges’ scores last Saturday.
Thousands phoned in to save him but their votes were wasted as there was no way for him to escape the dance-off.
Enlarge Not wanted: Tom Chambers and dance partner Camilla Dallerup celebrate after finding out they are going through to the final of Strictly, but now fans are calling on them to quit
Not wanted: Tom Chambers celebrates after finding out he is going through to the final of Strictly, but now fans are calling on him to quit
In the end producers put all three in the final, meaning Chambers, 31, could win despite being the worst dancer last week.
But Strictly fans have turned on him suggesting he do the 'honourable thing' and bow out.
The backlash comes as Strictly bosses revealed their concerns about Tom winning the show.
A BBC source told the Daily Star: 'Tom winning... will be the worse-case scenario for us.
'We've tried to make everything above board and be as fair and open as possible, but we fully expect to take a load more flak if he steals the crown. The whole point of the show depends on people believing that their votes count.
'If they lose that belief we could be in real trouble.'
Tom's dance partner Camilla Dallerup is said to have been left in tears by the controversy.
A source told the Mirror: 'She doesn't want anyone to think they have cheated in any way.'
Tom and Camilla will now join Lisa Snowdon and Brendan Cole, and Rachel Stevens and Vincent Simon, in Saturday's final.
After a public outcry at last week's fiasco, the BBC has decided that the fairest solution is to allow the combined scores from the judges and the viewers' vote from Saturday night to be carried over to the start of the final.
Each couple's marks from the vote will be revealed before the dancing begins and added to the judges scores so that everyone knowns where they stand.
The three pairs will then dance and be scored by the judges. The audience will vote as normal and the results will be added to the leader board.
The couple with the lowest score will then be kicked off, leaving the remaining two to fight it out for the Strictly Come Dancing Champion 2008 crown.
Who wins will be decided completely by the viewers' vote and the judges will have no say at all.
Enlarge Strictly on track: Rachel Stevens and her fiancé Alex Bourne share a kiss outside their north London home
Strictly on track: Rachel Stevens and her fiancé Alex Bourne share a kiss outside their north London home today
In other Strictly news Rachel is said to have been left annoyed by suggestive comments made by judge Arlene Phillips on last week's show.
After Rachel completed her routine Phillips told her: 'If legs could talk they would be giving away many secrets.'
But Rachel, whose fiancé Alex Bourne was in the audience, was 'left fuming' by the suggestion that she was having a fling with partner Vincent Simone.
Source : Daily Mail (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/3830566/Rachel-Stevens-injured-ahead-of-Strictly-Come-Dancing-final.html)
Its the only exciting things she's done all series.