Oh, dear God. 

I was relieved when Stephen Fry and I drew with 50% of the Anglophenia vote each. There, I thought. That’s the way to do it. Honour is satisfied, and I do not have to apologise to anyone, or worry or ever think about this thing again.

I think people in BBC America are having too much fun with this contest.

One vote?

ALAN FUCKING RICKMAN?

Neil Gaiman famously posted on his Tumblr that he didn’t stand a chance against Stephen Fry in their Round 1 battle. But the novelist triumphed over his “national treasure” opponent – by ONE vote. (There were more lead changes in this matchup than in Bush/Gore.) This could be a case of “out of the frying pan and into the fire,” as Gaiman now faces last year’s champion Alan Rickman (who beat Gary Oldman in Round 1).