So, is anyone else watching the show? Who are you rooting for? I am surprised they are having fans vote this time for the winner. I think maybe Justin might do the most interesting show, especially if he continues to do spoofs of other shows, like the pilot, but I guess I want Martie to win.

Nope, don't watch that one but if you'd like a show without contestants, catch The Chew on ABC at 1p Eastern Time. I've ordered their new(est?) book which doesn't come out until Sept. There should be some great recipes in there. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/dine.gif" alt="" />

1 PM Eastern time? Sounds like a show for retired folks! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" /> I'm working then!

Background noise??? I use to have a small TV in my office and when that wasn't on, the radio was. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

We don't have TV here at the office. I have a radio/CD player but rarely have it on....

Carol, I have only been watching the last few shows but I believe Justin will win. He certainly knows how to cook and does radiate some charm. I do not think I would want to watch Michele on Foodnetwork in her tee shirts <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" /> and jeans! The gal has no class. LOL.

I'm not sure that Justin has 'class', although I don't know what the heck he DOES have, but I guess one would call him 'quirky'. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Smile.gif" alt="" /> I think he probably will win also. Michele does have a good "POV", as they like to call it on the show, but she certainly is not a fashion plate, that's for sure! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

I agree that Justin would probably have the most interesting show, although Martie certainly has come into her own in the last couple of weeks. I'd watch either one of them...the others, absolutely not.

Justin won, not surprising. I was surprised that Martie was eliminated first.

I'm not sure that meant that she was the lowest vote-getter. The way they did it, with each mentor talking up their finalist, makes me believe that no matter who won, one of Alton's would have been eliminated first so that each mentor had one finalist (which is the way it was supposed to be anyway, but Martie was so good they wanted to give her a chance).

Oh, ok. It was odd, the way they eliminated her at the beginning, I thought. Maybe that is the explanation. I was looking this morning, trying to find an actual vote count, but couldn't find it. ..of course, this deal with voting up to 10 times per day for 2 days makes the voting kind of bogus, but I was wondering if they actually do release the actual vote counts ?

I don't know, but I doubt it. I don't know if any of the shows release the count, do they? I know Idol doesn't...

Oh, ok. I didn't know that about Idol, as I was never really interested in the actual count. Not to be a cynic, but how do we know that they don't just pick whoever they want, if they never release the numbers?? Interesting.

I think you hit the nail on the head Carol. I do not think we will ever know the vote count. Let's face it, they will pick their star, it's their network and they want the best and it's their pick. Just trying to keep the public thinking they had something to do with it. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

Well, you probably know what I'm going to say about that. I don't believe they would do that. If it ever came out that they did, I think there would be repercussions, perhaps not legal ones, but certainly a loss of viewers.

I think they were afraid that people were tired of the series and so they set it up that way at the end to keep people interested in the show. To me, it was a very interesting show this season regardless of that, because of the 'team' concept and the mentors.

How would anyone know? It's an occupational hazard probably, but I don't trust anyone, and especially not a TV network!

Idol does give the count, but it's a total votes count, not person A got x number, person B got...they'll say something like "out of the 4.5 million votes this week...."

Food Network Star did the same thing, saying there were over 4 million votes.

As far as how anyone would know if the winner really was the one with the most votes.....you never know when a disgruntled employee will spill the beans. I just don't believe they would take that chance.

Yes, they announced the total votes, although the total votes thing is pretty lame, when people can vote 20 times. I will agree to disagree with you on the other point.