'Talent' chiefs deny "manipulating" vote

Britain's Got Talent chiefs have responded to claims that they are "manipulating" viewers to influence the vote.

Producers have been accused of giving their favourites an advantage in the competition by placing them last in the running order each night. In each semi-final episode so far, the final acts to perform - Signature, Andrew Johnston, George Sampson and Faryl Smith - have received the most viewer votes and made it through to the final.

Some viewers have claimed that executives want certain contestants to be fresh in viewers' minds when the phone lines open.

One fan told the Daily Star: "For this to happen once is a fluke. But it's happened four nights in a row. It just seems a bit fishy that the very acts which the judges have championed such as Signature, Andrew Johnston, George Sampson and now Faryl have all miraculously made it to the final."

However, a spokeswoman for the show insisted that the pattern is "nothing more than a coincidence".

She added: "The voting is all fair and balanced. It is worth pointing out that acts which have appeared early on in the show have been coming second and third in the public voting."