Asian Idol

Reasons (I think) why Philippine Idol Mau Marcelo didn't win:
1. The voting system was flawed. Instead of simply voting for your favorite, you had to vote for two idols. Mau's voters therefore, also gave points to her opponents.
2. The show/ voting was not very aggresively and widely publicized in the Philippines, so there was probably a low turnout/ Philippine vote.
3. Mau's talent outshone everyone else, but then again the show is not really a talent competition. Fans of Mau's opponents would not want to vote for her because she would then be the winner.
4. Mau did not appeal to the show's dominant viewers, which are probably female teens/young adults (as evidenced by the audience during the show). They instead voted for the Singaporean guy.
5. Mau also did not probably appeal to male viewers when compared to her other female competitors, so she also lost votes there.