Idol singer leaves before voting starts

Mystery shrouds the swapping of one New Zealand Idol contestant in the top 24 for another.

In the pre-filmed performances from which the judges selected the top 24, Dibor was given the green light.

However, when the official top 24 list was sent out, Dibor was not on it and instead Rick, previously seen being rejected by the judges, was.

The official line from a South Pacific Pictures spokeswoman was that Dibor withdrew from the competition. No reasons for his change of heart were given.

The swap did not escape the eagle eyes of Idolblog, the unofficial website which has a tetchy relationship with TVNZ.

Forum members speculated on the reasons Dibor left and whether he jumped before he was pushed.

Some also wondered why there was no on-air announcement of the change.

The South Pacific Pictures spokeswoman said several people withdrew from Idol at various stages and the company had not realised Dibor's departure was worth pointing out.

However, when Victor left the top 60, citing his natural shyness, it was heavily publicised.

The fate of the contestants shifts from the judges to the public this Sunday night - eight of the 24 final contestants will perform. Public voting will decide on the three who make it through from each group of eight over the next three weeks.

Those eliminated still have a chance of winning the wild card to make it further.

Online betting agency Centrebet has Nik, from Masterton, as the favourite to win NZ Idol with odds of 7-2.

"Nik made quite an impression during the auditions, particularly on New Zealand's female population, which is never a bad thing for an Idol finalist," said Gerard Duffy of Centrebet.

Keshia from Auckland and Rongo from Mohaka are second and third favourites.