Showdown on 27th September

The penultimate show was on 27th September. Four contestants sang for three places in the final.

Carolynne: I Don't Want a Lover

Peter: Something

Alex: I'm Not In Love

Alistair: Jealous Guy

Carolynne and Peter: I Only Want To Be With You

Alex and Alistair: Everybody's Talking

Carolynne, Peter, Alex and Alistair: California Dreaming

In the results show later in the evening Alex, Alistair, Carolynne and Peter sang a song the group had composed during the week, My Reflection.

Alex then sang Yellow, a song she had performed on Top Of The Pops earlier in the week after winning a vote of Radio 1 listeners.

Peter expelled

After Carolynne had sung I Don't Want a Lover Richard had told her: "I don't think that will be good enough to get you through to the final."

He told Alistair that his performance was dull and adenoidal.

In the penultimate show there was no teachers' vote. This meant that the viewers would save two students - and the two saved students would then save one of the other two.

The viewers cast almost 1.5 million votes and they saved Alex and Alistair.

Both Alex and Alistair then voted to save Carolynne.

The three finalists are therefore Alex, Alistair and Carolynne. Peter was expelled.

Carrie appeared later on BBC Three and said that Alistair had voted tactically on voting out Peter - and said he had also voted tactically the previous week.

Voting errors

The BBC displayed Carolynne's number in a caption inviting viewrs to call to save Peter. Patrick admitted the error in the results show and said some votes had not been counted.

However, the BBC is unlikely to make a clear statement on the matter or release details of the votes included or excluded. We will not know for sure whether the error could have affected the result of the series.