X Factor fans urge phone votes probe

Britain's broadcasting watchdog Ofcom has been urged by 50,000 fans of X Factor reject Laura White to investigate telephone voting procedures on the show.

Organisers of two petitions calling for White’s reinstatement following her shock dismissal by the judges have made a formal complaint to the watchdog.

White, 21, from Bolton, who had been one of the favourites to win this year’s X Factor, was voted out on Saturday after judges Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh failed to save her.

The complaint says there has been a lack of transparency in X Factor voting and that viewers have told how they could not get through to vote for the aspiring star.

It has been submitted by the authors of two petitions, which together have more than 50,000 fans’ signatures, on petitiononline.com.

The complaint is also backed by the founder of a website, amazingtunes.com, which is selling tracks White recorded before going on the show.

It states: “We write on behalf of 50,000 members of the public who have so far signed petitions of complaint.

“There is a body of evidence to suggest that there are major issues concerning telephone voting on the above programme.

“The main thrust of our complaint is that there is no transparency regarding the total number of votes and how many votes each contestant received.

“In addition many thousands of viewers are convinced that either their call was blocked or their vote misappropriated.”

Girls Aloud star Cheryl Cole, who was White’s mentor, reportedly argued with Walsh after Saturday night’s show, when her singer went head to head with Spanish contestant Ruth Lorenzo.

Culture Secretary Andy Burnham even waded into the row, telling MPs that the “wonderful and talented” singer had been “harshly” treated by the judges.

Leona Lewis, last year’s winner, and Lily Allen have expressed their surprise at the outcome, with Lewis saying: “I was outraged, screaming at the TV and stuff. I was surprised.”