Television phone-in contests have had a tough old time this year.

First there was the Richard And Judy You Say, We Pay malarkey. Then GMTV got embroiled in a similar sort of scandal. And hit ITV show Phone In And Give Us Lots Of Money While Attempting To Find Wholly Arbitrary Answers To Pointless Questions, You Pathetic Gullible Cretins raised more than a few eyebrows out there in viewerland.  Surely things couldn't get any worse, right?

Think again. X Factor – grandaddy of all slightly plebeian dial-a-vote TV fests – has sparked off a whole new controversy following allegations that the result was a bloody great big fix. Over 1,500 viewers have called Ofcom so far to complain, meaning that a) they're either really, really  angry, or b) they were trying to get through to Simpleton Ring-A-Ling Money Grab and their fingers were too greasy from the massive KFC bucket on their lap to dial the right digits.

Ofcom have now launched an extensive enquiry as to why thousands of people claim they were unable to get through and vote for welsh opera singer Rhydian Roberts. Roberts was the pre-show favourite to win, but then went on to lose to weird-headed toddler Leon Jackson.

Welsh first minister Rhodri Morgan – obviously making the best use of his senior political status by concentrating on such an important issue – waffled that:

“I can confirm that I attempted to vote for Rhydian and couldn’t get through. Thousands had the same experience as me.”

While winner Leon's mum is having none of it:

“It’s just sour grapes. I’ve had complete strangers stop me in the street and say they couldn’t get through to vote for my Leon. One pal tried more than 300 times and failed every time. It’s not just Welsh folk who suffered.”

The truth, it would seem, has yet to out. ITV naturally claim that Leon won fair and square. Hecklerspray, meanwhile, couldn't really care less. We're far more excited about the grand final of Celebrity Wee-Wee Drinker. £10 on Jimmy Hill to win – that boy sure can guzzle the urine, and the shiny veneer it leaves on his gargantuan chin afterwards is nothing short of startling.

If you are interested in any of this, however, The Sun has set up it's own voting lines to ascertain who their readers really voted for. Although – to be fair – most people are simply phoning up to shout 'tits', 'football', 'pies,' or 'I hate immigrants' to the automated Jon Gaunt answerphone.

Apart from the ones who just grunt, of course.

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1,500 phone over Rhyd vote – The Sun