Probe into Popstars 'fix' ruled out

TV executives today ruled out an inquiry into allegations of vote-fixing after hundreds of viewers of Popstars: The Rivals complained their votes were re-directed to another contestant.

To the surprise of many, including the show's presenter Davina McCall, the favourite Javine Hylton was ejected from the winning lineup of Girls Aloud by public vote on Saturday night. Viewers of the ITV show deluged the station and radio phone-ins with complaints their votes for Javine went to her rival Sarah Harding, 21, instead.

After the vote Javine, from Ladbroke Grove, said: "It does sound a bit strange. I felt sick. I just wanted to go home with my mum. I'm not suggesting Sarah got unfairly voted into the band. But if something strange happened I'd like to get to the bottom of it." Some viewers claimed that when they sent a text message "vote Javine" they got a reply saying they had voted for Miss Harding. When they re-dialled, thinking they had the wrong number, the error was repeated.

Others complained their text messages for 20-year-old Javine - described by The Rivals judge Geri Halliwell as "the new Whitney Houston" - were returned as " undeliverable". Sarah accumulated 209,236 votes and Javine 161,402.

However, ITV said the result would stand and insisted it had received assurances from the two phone companies involved, O2 and Red Fig, that no problem was found in the way votes were counted.

An O2 spokesman said: "There were some problems with the confirmations sent out to consumers, but these have no effect on the result of the vote." A spokesman for Granada, which made the show, said it was satisfied with the assurances given by the phone suppliers.

The show aimed to create an allgirl band to follow the chart success of Pop Idol winner Will Young and go head-to-head against the show's boy band One True Voice.

When the result was announced Davina McCall said to Javine: "I can't believe you haven't made it. Something has gone on tonight. I don't understand it."

Justin King, news editor at Capital FM, said they had received more than 50 calls complaining they couldn't vote for Javine. One listener said: "The result was astonishing because Javine had been a favourite all the way through the series."

Javine said of the moment the result was announced: "All the girls were hugging me and weeping and I just wanted to get out of there. Even when Davina McCall announced that Sarah would go through I did not cry. I wanted to cry. But I told myself to be strong as I still had to sing my song again."

She added: "I'll rise above it all to have a great solo career. I have always given 250 per cent and I won't stop now. Mark my words."

Meanwhile Sarah has joined the four other successful contestants in the studio to record a single. She said: "I don't think there could have been a fix or anything like that. What's done is done now and I will just take it as it comes. At the end of the day I am living my dream." A spokesman for Popstars: The Rivals added they were "satisfied" with the outcome of the investigation.

In February tens of thousands of Gareth Gates's fans claimed they had been prevented from voting for him in ITV's Pop Idol.