Child genius -which bright spark decided to put it on on a Tuesday???

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Anyone watching?

Giovanni's tactics completely backfired there!

I can just imagine Neha as a doctor. Thomas has to win this though!

Thomas always looks so happy - it's lovely to see.

Thomas is astounding isn't he? I hope he wins.

This competition will be a complete farce if anyone but Thomas wins.

I found Julian so unbearably arrogant I didn't mind him going. It was a shame for Neha but she was the youngest and she did so well getting as far as she did. I wonder if she can enter again when she's older?

I missed David! Thought it was really unfair he lost on that sudden death spelling round last week when he had been scoring highly throughout the competition.

I laughed when Giovanni's 'making lots of noise to stop Thomas making lots of noise' tactic backfired and he ended up in a private room with him!

So who is left in the final?

Why so little focus on the girls??

Pleased to see Jack in the final, he seemed nice.

The lad whose parents were showing him around Eton, had he been accepted to Eton or were they just looking?

After last night's episode I don't think Thomas should win at all, the noise was ridiculous. We've seen him do this before and he may be clever and have a novel way of learning, but why should that mean he can disturb all the other children's concentration. That doesn't seem fair to me and I can perfectly understand why Giovanni reacted like he did; Thomas is making sure the competition is continually disturbed or so wound up with annoyance they can't concentrate. How can anybody else concentrate when there's someone sounding like a court jester in the room.

One could almost think Thomas knows its a great way to disarm and destroy your competitors, perhaps that's what lies behind that perpetual grin.

It's an uncomfortable programme to watch.

Last years series gave us a twist, I think, where the child that the producers had focused on didn't win. A child whose story wasn't told till the start of the final episode did.

I wonder if there's a similar twist ahead.

Thomas is certainly cheerful. But he doesn't come over as somebody who is able to show consideration for others - which is something an older child might be expected to try and remember to do.

His family seems to be quite an interesting one. It's not clear what the other children in the family - his step/half siblings think of him. We mostly just get to hear from his (very) proud mother.

I'm not in MENSA but surely they could have used two rooms at the beginning - one silent and one for those who need to make a noise. Thomas' way of learning is a s valid as anyone elses - he wasn't just making a noise for the sake of it like Giovanni!! Surprised more people didn't try to copy his singing as it obviously works for him!!

There was the same issue last year, Hugo was pissing people off when they were trying to memorise cards.

It's a wonder that the organisers didn't sort this and once again put them all in the same room with no one supervising.

Yep one quiet room and one noisy room - but I guess that doesn't make such good TV.

Thomas is 12, my 12 year old would know that such noisy behaviour in a room of people revising was completely out of order and unfair. I suspect he's been somewhat indulged to lack such judgement. His mum knows he revises like that couldn't she have had a word with him or warned the organisers and get him a separate room.

I felt so sorry for Neha - how long had she been trying to concentrate before she said something - perhaps she'd have got more right if she hadn't been disturbed. From the pictures it looked like only the camera team where in the room (disturbing enough) with the children and nobody with any authority as the adjudicator had to come from a different room - was that really a good idea.

I felt sorry for Neha too but Thomas WAS revising, just not quietly! last year Hugo was just messinh around to distract people!

I only managed to catch this last night. I really felt for Neha, she looked desperate. Thomas was oblivious to everyone. I agree his parents could have warned the organisers.

I thought it was interesting that a lot of the semi-finalists were children we haven't really 'met' before. I guess they didn't want to be seen on TV.

Some of the parents are more invested in he competition then the children ( Giovanni, the two brothers etc). I actually felt a bit sorry for Giovanni. He doesn't seem to be enjoying the process, unlike Thomas et al who are revelling in it.

I also noticed at the end that the commentator said that next week will be the final to find out Britain's brainiest child, not Child Genius. It's as if they are changing the emphasis away from genius, to brightness.

Thomas was very much in the zone. He's been shown doing pretty much the same outside the hall, so it's not like he's doing it to be annoying. DS1 is fascinated by him!

Poor Giovanni is saddled with an arrogant [cough] of a father.

tooth I don't think Thomas makes the noise to be unreasonable. That's just the way he processes information. I suspect he may have a neurological condition, but this hasn't been mention in the series.

I really do hope he wins, My family and I were bewidlered last night by his fast responses to the set questions.

Thomas learns by making associations in his head through singing. Everybody had their own learning style, he is in a competition so he needs to use the method that will give him the best chance!
I think he's a great kid, not arrogant at all, level headed, truly interested in learning (rather than having a pushy parent), he HAS to win for this to be fair at all.
I thought Neha was a little too arrogant for her age, too full of her self, a little humility is always good.

I think plenty of the boys have been more 'full of themselves' than Neha.

Agreed and she's only 8 years old.

I don't believe for a second Thomas was doing it deliberately, I just don't think he has that guile. I think the organisers could have made that revision session fairer for everyone.
I'm pretty sure he'll ace the final.

If there's any sort of debating in the final, again (though it looks like there's more general knowledge of some sort, from the trailers), Thomas would be more than able to hold his own against the kids who have been featured so far, though I have noticed that we know nothing about the girl who has made it into the final.

Those parents taking that boy around Eton...

That seems so unfair, and the pressure on him!

Or has he been accepted there? It was presented as a fantasy trip ("can you imagine walking these streets"). Does anyone know?

If Thomas had been given a separate room to be loud in no doubt some of the parents would have complained there was special treatment.

Thomas is simply using the best method he has for retaining information by singing/using sound- and quite a common one too!

Its the organisers/TV production company that should ensure it doesn't distract anyone else.