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which was the last day for album eligible for this year's prize, so guessed they missed out.

there's a lot we deliberately miss out. The xx had already headlined the Arena at Latitude and soundtracked the BBC election coverage by the time they won so they were hardly unknown quantities to all but journos. Similarly One Day Like This had already colonised radio and Klaxons were one of the most talked about bands at that moment, so much was invested in nu-rave and its style section potential. And then there's the Arctics win...

Your link does prove that the bookies were expecting The XX to win and they were right (how do they always seem to know????). But was that based on the fact that they'd gone totally left field the year before with Speech, realised it hadn't gone to plan and gone for a guitar band who was under radar but cool? Nah, cos Wild Beasts, Foals and Villagers were available.

Looked up chart positions and the xx didn't chart with anything until after the Mercury, re-issues. I don't recall them getting much radio play and only a little internet coverage.

Maybe it's all down to the judging panel and the strength of argument in the room but what arguments are they using? I must kno!

I remember Beth Orton getting a massive betting push right near the announcement in the year Roni Size won.

-Im just bitter that kenny's lost me money again.

Adele? 3m UK sales to date? I imagine she has some pots to piss in.

Given that every one of their five studio albums have made the top 20, Seldom seen kid selling over 1 million copies alone, and their stadium support of bands like coldplay, u2 and muse (all of which will have paid a pretty penny)

she was in a hotel in Washington DC I think overlooking the Pentagon.

to a well-earned victory...

nice that she won and all that......but dissapointed one of the more low profile acts didn't win.....like she's made a fair few bob over the years already and is bound to make a shit loads more from winning this.......not saying "i support the underdog" and all that but would've been nice to see someone like Metromony or everything everything win.....just so they are heard by the masses a bit more......but in the end fair play to her....although no one told her a swan had sat on her head before the event......

maybe it's just the nature of twitter, but extraordinary the amount of people this year who seem to have suggested this is a wilful decision rewarding an obscure artist... I know the odd mainstream act has won, but for all that they're a silly award, when were the Mercurys for the biggest seller? Channel 4 News's dickhead showbiz correspondent seems to be suggesting this was a snub to Adele.

Anyway, PJ Harvey won - huzzah!