Saturday, 12 December 2009

Strictly Housewives Voting

Telephone polls in the hands of the television-viewing public are predictable beasts masquerading as unfathomable. The key to breaking the code of irrational voting behaviour is to understand which portion of the public is voting.

Picture tonight's Strictly Come Dancing semi-final on BBC One. Three couples, two near perfect-scoring celebrities (one Ricky Whittle, a hunky soap actor and male model with a six-pack and his own website; the other Ali Bastian, an English rose-type soap actress without a six-pack or a website) and one plucky underdog without a brilliant score throughout the whole series (Chris Hollins, an engaging breakfast-television sports presenter with a stomach profile earned from hours spent sitting on the proverbial sofa).

Were Strictly simply a talent contest, the best dancers would always survive the chop. But it's more of a popularity contest with viewers voting on the basis of who would make the best son- or daughter-in-law material. Chris Hollins got to the final based on the fact that he and his partner, Ola Jordan, seem to be having the most fun.

The final will be a close-run thing, with Ricky probably getting the nod from the judges but Chris taking the title on a wave of public love of plucky personality.

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