All three couples in BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing semi-final have gone through to the final after two hopefuls tied after the judges' scoring.
All three couples in BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing semi-final have gone through to the final after two were tied following the judges' scoring.
As a result, presenter Lisa Snowdon and singer Rachel Stevens were both given the maximum points available.
Presenter Lisa Snowdon, singer Rachel Stevens and their partners were given the maximum points available.
But that meant the audience vote could not save actor Tom Chambers from the dance-off and it was decided to put all three couples through.
But that meant that whatever happened in the audience vote, actor Tom Chambers could not be saved from the dance-off and that was deemed "unfair".
Viewers were assured their votes would be included in next Saturday's final.
Viewers were assured their votes would be included in next Saturday's final.
A BBC spokeswoman said: "We made a decision that the fairest option to all of our dancers was that all the votes cast will stand and be carried through to next week's final, where all three couples will compete for the Strictly Come Dancing title."
A statement issued following Saturday's live show said: "Due to the unprecedented outcome of the judges' vote... the audience vote could not have saved one of our couples from the dance off.
Stevens and Snowdon both scored 75 points with the judges after their two dances, with Snowdon achieving a perfect score on her ballroom round.
"We took the decision that all the votes cast tonight should stand and be carried through to next week's final.
"So the audience has had the usual chance to vote on the performances of all our semi-finalists. All the votes cast tonight will be rolled over. Tonight's vote has been independently verified."
Voting mathematics
A BBC spokeswoman added that the decision was considered to be "the fairest option to all of our dancers".
Stevens, dancing with Vincent Simone, and Snowdon, partnered by Brendan Cole, had both been awarded 75 points out of a possible 80 by the judges after their two dances, with Snowdon achieving a perfect score on her ballroom round.
That meant both couples were awarded three points to take into the audience vote, with Chambers and partner Camilla Dallerup awarded just one.
In the audience vote, a further three would have been the most points Chambers and Dallerup could have won and a further one would have been the least either of the other couples could have got.
That meant that whatever the outcome of how the audience voted, Chambers and Dallerup would have been one of the two lowest-scoring couples and therefore facing a dance-off for a place in the final against the other lowest scorers.
When the series started back in the autumn, the original plan was to have three couples in the final, but after John Sergeant quit the show last month in controversial circumstances, it was decided to continue voting one couple off each week until just two were left to compete in the final.
Are you happy with the way the vote went in this round of Strictly Come Dancing? Do you think there was a better way? Will you be voting next week? Tell us your thoughts by filling in the form below.
Are you happy with the way the vote went in this round of Strictly Come Dancing? Do you think there was a better way? Will you be voting next week? Tell us your thoughts by filling in the form below.
