OK, so that might be a bit of a sweeping statement. I daresay the debates over Britain’s Got Talent and the positives and negatives of the show will rage on for weeks. But now that the series is all done and dusted, think of this as my last words on what has been the best series of the talent show to date – and probably the most talked about show of the viewing year so far. And while we might all feign surprise at Susan Boyle losing out to Diversity – who if the bookies were to be believed, were among the outsiders – I’m prepared to stand up and say that I saw that coming a mile off. Maybe not with Diversity (since I was shouting for Team Stavros…..) but the more fevered the media coverage of the show became, the less likely it began to look that Boyle had it in the bag.

For all our BGT news, opinion and recaps, go here.

At this point I should remind you all that just a few weeks ago I discussed the notion of why it might be better if Susan Boyle didn’t win Britain’s Got Talent, pointing out that she would have a huge career anyway and the prize might be better off going to an act who would really benefit from it. And so it was that dance troupe Diversity took the crown – and deservedly so for they were just brilliant on Saturday night. Simon Cowell said they were the only act he would have given ten out of ten to. High praise indeed.

Whether or not Boyle thought she had it in the bag is another matter entirely of course. She certainly delivered the performance of her life on Saturday night (albeit with the song that made her famous in the first place – which actually means for all the raving about her talents we still have only ever heard her sing a small handful of songs) and had all the right expressions of surprise and amazement upon learning she was in the top three – but she didn’t half look unhappy when she found out she was the runner-up. Reports of erratic behaviour and the like have snowballed since then and as we speak she is apparently in The Priory suffering from exhaustion.

There isn’t really much more that can be said about this that hasn’t already been detailed in the tabloids but suffice to say this is what happens when someone who is totally unprepared for and inexperienced in the world of celebrity becomes, er, a celebrity overnight. And it could just as easily happen to anyone in the same situation. And I won’t even begin to say I told you so.

But back to the final, and there really was scarcely a foot put wrong all evening, with at least six or seven acts who could quite seriously have won it. Only 2 Grand, the grandfather/daughter singing duo were of the ‘you should just be happy to have made it this far’ variety, and their chances weren’t helped when granddad John missed his cue and started singing a split second too late (even then it was still one of those ‘did that happen or did I imagine it?’ moments). Shaheen, Flawless, Stavros, Shaun – all were fabulous and all would have made worthy winners. It was, if we’re being honest,one of the best reality TV show finals ever. The big question now is – how can they possibly follow it in 2010?