Taylor Hicks reacts to being announced the winner of American Idol. Runner-up Katharine McPhee tries to look equally happy. Photograph: Kevork Djansezian/AP
With allegations of fraud, vote rigging and sexual misconduct, the reality TV talent contest American Idol - the US version of Pop Idol - has now become as scandal-hit as the US presidential elections.
The Washington Post claims that since the show first aired in 2002, it has "hatched almost as many conspiracy theories as John F Kennedy's assassination". This year's competition - won last night by greying rocker Taylor Hicks who has been unflatteringly compared to chinsome talkshow host Jay Leno - has proved no exception.
When the fans' favourite Chris Daughtry was eliminated earlier this month there were claims his phone votes were misdirected to the benefit of the other finalist, Katherine McPhee. Other viewers blamed the Vote for the Worst website which is dedicated to skewing the vote in favour of the least talented contestants, which may explain the result of the last two presidential elections.
Last year the show was hit by a former contestant's accusation that he had an affair with judge Paula Abdul, of the dancing cat fame, which was dismissed by the show's broadcaster Fox TV after an investigation. While the year before there were claims the vote was rigged using speed-dialling programmes, which generate hundreds of calls from a single user. However, similar vote manipulation controversy has hit other reality TV shows - including Pop Idol and Pop Stars: The Rivals.
Indeed, Fox TV might contend that the series is evidence of a healthy democracy. As the host told viewers, "63.4 million votes were cast - more than any president in the history of our country has ever received". Although this ignores the fact that more than 120 million votes were cast in the 2004 presidential race.
And surely the only real scandal about American Idol is that Paula Abdul, whose reed-thin voice makes Madonna sound like Aretha Franklin, is considered fit to judge a singing contest.
