VIEWERS of the popular local reality series Digicel Rising Stars were up to yesterday expressing anger at what they described as the shocking elimination of contestant Lenya Wilks, regarded as one of the best singers ever to grace the annual talent search.

Seventeen-year-old Wilks – from the community of Ewarton, St Catherine – was eliminated last Friday night after she received fewer votes than fellow contestant Jodian Pantry for her cover of Regina Belle’s Make It Like It Was and Amy Winehouse’s Rehab on last Sunday’s showing.

Wilks’ farewell performance, however, was cut short by a stream of tears, signalling her disappointment, even as several members of the live studio audience reacted similarly.

“People were in shock last night (Friday) and based on that, viewers at home could see on TV that some people in the audience were crying,” said Sharon Schroeter, series producer.

Each week, members of the public vote via text messaging or phone calls to keep contestants on the show. The person with the lowest number of votes is sent home on the Friday night results shows.

On Friday night, Schroeter, aware that emotions were running high inside the studio, said the production crew asked Wilks if she would be able to perform and, “she said yes”.

But the emotional Wilks was too upset to sing, and left the stage after attempting the first couple of notes.

However, yesterday, Schroeter said: “No matter how we feel about the contestant, we still have a live show to put out.” Schroeter further said that, though this episode had been the season’s most shocking and Wilks had initially expressed some difficulty with accepting the decision, she was doing better yesterday.

“She was a bit shaken up, she cried, but the contestants and her family rallied around her and she’s doing great now.”

But the reactions didn’t stop there, as the show’s shocking result had readily become the weekend’s hottest topic. Certainly, it was all the group of taxi men who were gathered along the outskirts of the Pavilion Mall in Half-Way-Tree could talk about yesterday.

“It no run fair. fe sen’ home Lenya, a big mistake,” shouted one taxi operator, as the Sunday Observer team joined the group discussion.

“The girl sing good, she can be any star.” The man later identified himself as Anthony Porter, before turning his attention back to his colleagues.

“The amount of support that she get, she mus’ shock. me wouldn’t blame her fe walk,” Porter said, even as another blasted, “she should ‘ave behave more professional. learn fe stan’ her losses”. By now, several other men converged on the scene and Rising Stars judge Anthony Miller’s integrity was now being questioned.

“Him ‘curry favour’. him very bias, is because ‘a’ him mek dem vote off de girl,” said Porter, adding that the public was merely ‘spiting’ Miller for his consistently praising the young performer over the last eight weeks. But Paul Myers informed the gathering that, of the three judges, Miller was the fairest.

“Dem shouldn’t mek because ‘a’ Anthony Miller dem vote her off, the girl is the bes’ singer on the show,” Myers added, “where voting in Jamaica is concern, it no mean nothin’. a jus’ who have the most money and the most credit.”

A few metres away, shopper Deron Johnson shared

Porter’s opinion.

“Anthony big her up too much. she’s never wrong for him,” Johnson said. “People turn ‘gainst Lenya because of that, and he seems to have a personal thing against Jodi.” He believes that Wilks’ first rendition was good but she failed to capture the audience with her second song, Rehab.

But the Rising Stars talk on the streets and the prospect of being the least favourite judge doesn’t bother Miller, who spoke to the Sunday Observer by telephone yesterday.

“I’m dispassionate about these things,” said Miller, “but TV talent shows are also popularity contests. Lenya never managed to make people really like her. she’s always perceived as a little cold and distant.”

Though some viewers may now be questioning the worth of the series, Paula Pinnock-MacLeod, Digicel Rising Stars executive producer, believes that what happened speaks to the show’s integrity.

“We’ve received the phone calls (of disapproval). it shows us how popular the show is and that at the end of the day, it’s only the votes that count,” she said.