'X Factor' bosses play down phone error

X Factor bosses have played down concerns over an error in the telephone voting numbers last week.

Fans of Spanish singer Ruth Lorenzo complained that at one point during the live show the incorrect number was displayed on screen.

"We tried for an hour and a quarter, but the lines were busy all the time," Lorenzo's mum Eva told The Mirror.

"Then we suddenly realised the number shown on TV was wrong."

Lorenzo ended up ranked in the bottom two alongside Girlband on Saturday, but ITV sternly denied that the mistake affected the result.

A spokesperson commented: "During one short sequence, a single digit was missing from Ruth Lorenzo's vote number.

"The incorrect number was on screen for less than three seconds, and this was accompanied by an audio announcement giving the correct number.

"The error would not have changed the outcome of the vote."

> Click here for our interview with Girlband