"Your boy was way ahead" - the winning margin

[dededom]

Well, GOOD MORNING everyone.

Some may recall that in my post after the Finale (see The Evidence - www.dleithonline.proboards101.com/index.cgi?board=hq&action=display&thread=1164544340) that I noted that I had forewarning of the final result.

There has been since discussion in these threads about whether it was truly "one of the closets results in the show's history" as has been the Official Line spruiked in the subsequent media coverage, or whether the absence of any such comment by the hosts when they came to announce the result indicated that there was a more sizeable margin.

Well, I've been back to my contacts to ask what was the winning margin, and I've just been told "your boy was way ahead". ;D

Will push for concrete numbers, but thought you might all like to know even that snippet.

Oh, and my sources are very reliable.

I wonder when someone will tell Damien?

[cin59]

Isn't that brilliant. Am very happy though that I still voted right until the closing time. I am sure people close to Damien who watch and participate in this thread will pass that information on. Now we just need all those who voted to support him by buying his music.
Daughter knows to buy me the dvd for chrissy.

[Bahamagirl]

Thanks for that Dede. I think that some people do not appreciate just how broad Damien's fan base is. He is not going to disappear after a few months as certain disgruntled fans were saying at the Idol forum. His appeal was never to the average teeny-bopper with a short attention span. How many people like myself did Damien's talent bring out to vote and join forums for the first time? We're not going anywhere and will continue to buy his albums as long as he's producing them. BTW, you can't really post this on the new site, can you? Another reason to mainly stay here. ;D

[superstar]

Why then were various news sites claiming yesterday that it was the closest vote in Aussie Idol history? To cover their own arses, because so many of them confidently predicted Jess would win?
I bet Damien got 55-60% of the votes. Why? Because he appeals to all age groups - I'm one 30 something bloke who put in a lot of votes for Damo.

[davril]

They say it's the 'closest vote ever' every year. Why say something different this year? Also, does anyone know exactly when the dvd is coming out?

[superstar]

Damien said yesterday the DVD is released on December 7.
I'll be buying it - I need my Damien Leith fix!

[murfinator]

Yeah I will miss seeing him every Sunday!

[-- Janny --]

That's fantastic that Damien gets most of the votes. Jessica is lovely but Damien is on top of my priority so I can't help but feeling ecstatic by this news. I think it is similar to US Idol 4 where everyone was rambling that it's gonna be a close one (people predicted BO would win because he's a white male), but yeah it ended up Carrie winning 60-40. I think the reason that the media thought that it was going to be a close, favouring Jessica, is that they thought that it was only the teenagers voting. They don't regard the older audience!!!

[lynne]

I am pleasantly suprised after reading the "How old are you" thread on the Official forums that the age range for Damien fans is broad spectrum. I posted to that particular thread that "true talent is ageless."

Damien truly is a Superstar in the making. ;D

Thanks for posting that info. Dede. I was heartened by that News.com poll which showed Damien way ahead in votes over Jessica. However, the media seemed to really favour Jess, slanting their articles and interviews towards her that I was worried on Sunday night.

Did anyone else sit there scrutinising the crowd in search of Damien support? I did and kept yelling exceitedly every time I saw a Damien poster or Irish flag etc. It did seem like the camera focussed a lot on Jess supporters but maybe I was just paranoid. heh

What jubilant ecstasy and intense relief when Damien's name was read out!

[dleitful]

I wouldn't be so surprised if it was a landslide. I think there would've been a lot of people voting that usually never vote (I had voted once before, for Courtney, and he got booted the next week so vowed to never to vote again in these types of shows...till Damien). I think the voting demographics this year might surprise the people who assume it's predominantly 14 year-old girls.

According to a news.com story:
"The 31-year-old Irishman told Confidential he was "still in shock" after beating Darwin schoolgirl Jessica Mauboy - the bookies' favourite - to this year's title.

While 70 per cent of the wagers taken by Centrebet had Mauboy home in the grand final, Leith came from behind in a flurry of voting late on Sunday afternoon to clinch the Sony BMG recording contract. "

But they probably get their info from Ch10 or Southern Star or whoever it is. Obviously, it is in their interests to lead us believe that these things are always close and 'every vote counts' blah blah blah.

[Smiley]

dleitful said:

According to a news.com story:
"While 70 per cent of the wagers taken by Centrebet had Mauboy home in the grand final, Leith came from behind in a flurry of voting late on Sunday afternoon to clinch the Sony BMG recording contract. "

But they probably get their info from Ch10 or Southern Star or whoever it is. Obviously, it is in their interests to lead us believe that these things are always close and 'every vote counts' blah blah blah.

I read this too and it's very misleading. It says 70% of wagers taken by Centrebet- which has absolutely nothing to do with who is voting for whom. It has to do with how much money is being put on them. So when they say that Leith came from behind in a flurry of late voting they are talking about a completely different thing- something that they could know nothing about as the voting tally is never revealed.

I'd say that a lot of Territorians got a bit over excited and started betting like crazy instead of spending money on getting Jess across the line.

[dleitful]

Yep smilingeyes that makes more sense. Bad reporting....who would've thunk it?
The centrebet odds were really a bit of a mystery. In news polls and pop polls taken on various forums (not sure about the AI forum, I refuse to go there), Damien was polling about 60:40 in general...and often a lot stronger than that. (By the way, this basically debunks any theory that Damien voters were more 'rabid' in their multiple voting than Jessica fans).
One possibility with the Centrebet odds is that many people sort of 'hedged their bets'. I know it is a supremely negative thing to do, but I was going to bet on Jessica. That way, if Damien doesn't win, you get a consolation cash prize. You can't lose! However, instances of people doing this wouldn't be plentiful enough to account for the discrepancy. Coupled with your Territorian betting frenzy theory though.

[superstar]

It doesn't matter what the winning margin was: DAMIEN WON!
That's all I care about!

[KrisLovesDamien]

Yea same!! lol...i mean thats so great that he won by miles, which im happy about ;D. But just the fact that he won was so good. And im definatley bying his dvd, why wouldnt u wanna? .
And im gonna miss seeing D 2 *cries*

[dededom]

Spoke with my contact again today. Apparently the reporting of a "late surge on Sunday putting Damien over the line" is just false. He was miles ahead by lunchtime. Will look to get more concrete numbers, but I understand may be more in the 60-65% area.