Southampton Princess amid a barrage of complaints about the organisation of the show.

"It should have been more organised,'' said one angry patron, Miss Crystal Caesar. "People who got there early were pushed aside while those who got there later pushed their way through the doors first.

"It all could have been avoided. There should have been some type of sequence for admittance and barricades so the line ran smoothly.

"Once we were inside, it was 40 minutes before the show started and I can't even say it ran smoothly. There were a lot of interruptions and breaks in between scenes.'' Some members of the audience estimated more than 1,000 people arrived for the show, held in the Empire Room -- which seats 750 -- with large numbers turned away after organisers discovered they had sold too many tickets.

Security guards and fire marshals were on hand to deal with hundreds of angry people who paid $35 in advance and $45 at the door for the night's entertainment.

"I was really impressed with the actual show itself,'' said Miss Caesar.

"The questions and answers were very tough and the contestants handled themselves well. Without the ticket mix-up beforehand, it would have been perfect.'' Requests by The Royal Gazette yesterday to arrange an interview with the 17-year-old winner were initially denied by the show's organisers, Super Teen productions.

Spokesperson Ms Onika Best said they were upset with an article in yesterday's newspaper about those who had been refused entry to the show. When contacted, the Pembroke West winner said she had been told by the organisers not to speak to reporters.

Other complaints voiced by those who attended included: A long line, which was poorly managed, allowed patrons at the end of the queue to wind up in the same area as those in the front and be admitted first.

Doors opened at least half an hour later than the 7.15 p.m. stated on the tickets and the show started 40 minutes after that.

People who arrived late and purchased tickets at the door were allowed to sit in a reserved seating area which gave them a better view than those who purchased in advance.