"THEY wanted us to jump about like clowns and fret about how much winning meant to us. They never got any of it and for that certain people within the TV company absolutely hated us."

That's the verdict of a York band who have hit back at programme makers after they were kicked out of a reality show.

Hijak Oscar reached the semi-finals of Channel 4 TV show "mobileAct unsigned", but they were knocked out before the final.

But the six-piece band said they were not disappointed.

Bassist Mark Meilack, 26, said: "Hijak Oscar embarked upon the magical journey that was mobileAct with reservations aplenty. A couple of turned-up lips and petulance was balanced against attitudes of opportunism and naivety.

"Were we disappointed when we were kicked out? The easy answer is no, we were delighted; as far as we were concerned Christmas had come early.

"We entered the show with the intention to gain as much exposure for our music as possible and not the desire to win a massive' record contract.

"Just like the Transformers movie, there was more than meets the eye to the massive' record contract.

"Are we sore losers? No, just realists. I don't think we compromised ourselves in any way shape or form, no matter how the TV company tried to portray us.

"I think our music spoke louder than any picture they tried to paint of us.

"They wanted us to jump about like clowns and fret about how much winning meant to us.

"They never got any of it and for that certain people within the TV company absolutely hated us.

"So unable to get that, they decided to make us out to be misanthropes.

"Don't get me wrong though, I am very grateful to the show and to the people that made it as, without the show, we wouldn't be in the position we are in now."

If you missed the band's performances on the show they can still be viewed on the YouTube website.

A spokesman for the show was unavailable for comment.

Its judging panel consisted of BBC Radio 1 DJ Jo Whiley, Blur's Bassist Alex James and the head of A&M Records Simon Gavin.

Hijak Oscar are now looking forward to a busier year then ever in 2008.

Mark and his fellow band members, Tig Fox, 25, Emma KeavneyRoys, 23, Carl Hetherington, 28, on keyboards and backing vocals, Mark Wynn, 20, on guitar and Dave Hartley, 27, on drums, will be getting the year off to a good start next week by representing York at one of the music industry's biggest events of the year - the MIDEM music conference in Cannes, France.

They will then take to the road for their UK tour Hellbound in February.