Ref: BGTV/CLS/KH/20110525/936
BRITAIN’S GOT TALENT VOTING TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Voting method and cost
Viewers in the UK and Channel Islands may vote for which act(s) they wish to keep in the competition, as specified in the Britain’s Got Talent programme (the ‘Programme’) by one of the following methods:
· PRTS phone - dial the premium rate telephone number for the chosen act(s) as displayed in the Programme and listen to the recorded message which confirms the vote (the “PRTS votes”). Each PRTS vote costs no more than 51 pence from a BT landline. Calls from other networks may be higher and from mobiles considerably more. The total cost will be dependent on the viewer’s network operator. Viewers can find out more information about the amount that their mobile operator will charge them by visiting http://www.callcosts.co.uk; but the Promoter and producers of the Programme recommend that for the most up to date charges viewers enquire directly with their mobile network operator.
· Red button – Sky and Virgin Media users press the red button on their remote and follow instructions (the “Red Button votes”). Each Red Button vote costs no more than 51 pence. Charges from some other service providers may apply and will appear on the telephone bill of the phone line used for digital satellite viewers using a non-BT network line.
15 pence from each PRTS and Red Button vote goes to the Royal Variety charity, The Entertainment Artistes’ Benevolent Fund.
Viewers of the broadcast of the programme in the Republic of Ireland can also vote for the act(s) they wish to keep in the competition via the PRTS phone number for viewers in the Republic of Ireland (the “Irish Vote”). The Irish Vote is promoted by the broadcaster of the Programme in the Republic of Ireland, TV3, and Irish viewers may find information about voting in the Republic of Ireland on the TV3 website at www.tv3.ie/bgtvote.
If there are technical or other issues with the Irish Vote or Red Button votes, the Promoter reserves the right to discount the Irish Votes or Red Button votes and announce the result of the vote without including those affected votes.
Please note it is not possible to vote via SMS, the internet, via email or via any method not stated in these terms and conditions.
Opening/closing times
Vote lines are opened and closed as specified in the Programme.
Voting restrictions
Viewers may vote as many times as they like, however the Promoter believes that any votes for one act which are received from any one recognised number in excess of 700 votes are deemed to be designed to excessively manipulate the outcome of the vote and are unfair to other users and other acts. Therefore if a viewer votes more than 700 times for one act from any one platform, the Promoter and the Programme producers reserve the right in their sole discretion to disqualify any votes made above that number, having regard to all the circumstances and information available at the relevant time.
Voting results
The outcome of the vote will be shown in the Programme.
During the semi-finals of the Programme, the act(s) with the highest number of votes will proceed to the next round in the competition, i.e. the final. The next two act(s) with the next highest number of votes will face the judges to determine which of those two act(s) will proceed to the final. The judges’ decision will be final. In total two acts will be sent to the final from each of the semi-finals of the Programme. The other act(s) which have each received the total number of viewer votes below the acts which received the first, second and third highest votes will be eliminated and will leave the competition.
In the event of a tie, the judges’ decision will determine which act stays or leaves the competition. If the judges' decision is tied, the outcome will be referred to the public vote.
During the final of the Programme, the act with the most votes will be declared the winner of the competition. Any variation on the format of elimination as set out in these terms and conditions will be announced in the Programme and such format as announced in the Programme will prevail.
In the event that the outcome of a vote cannot be reasonably determined because of a technical failure (other than that affecting the Irish Votes and/or the Red Button votes) or other circumstances beyond the reasonable control of the Promoter, the producer of the Programme, their agents or sub-contractors, then the judges’ decision will determine the outcome. The judges’ decision will be final.
If any act is unable to or is prevented from performing fully in the Programme due to medical reasons, or for other reasons which are beyond the control of the Promoter and/or the producers of the Programme, then the producers of the Programme will decide whether that act will continue in the competition, having regard to all circumstances and information available to them at the relevant time. The producers of the Programme will in their sole discretion determine if another act may be allowed to enter the competition.
Third-party voting services
Please note that the Promoter and the Programme producers are unable to confirm the integrity of any other voting method except for the official voting system and numbers promoted and displayed within the Programme. The Promoter and the Programme producers reserve the right to discount votes from third party voting services where applicable.