These are the "best" current odds for each contestant across the dozen or so well known bookies. Of course, as always, bookies odds reflect the money wagered. So, it's not a true reflection of anyone's chances. However, it does show where the early money is going. Some surprises..for me anyway.

Joe Calzaghe 5
Ricky Whittle 6
Jade Johnson 7
Phil Tufnell 10
Rav Wilding 10
Martina Hingis 10
Ali Bastian 14
Laila Rouass 14
Zoe Lucker 16
Craig Kelly 20
Natalie Cassidy 20
Chris Hollins 22
Richard Dunwoody 28
Ricky Groves 33
Jo Wood 40
Lynda Bellingham 50
Prices correct as of 17:38 today.

Martina Hingis might be worth a punt..but is 10-1 generous at this stage ? If Richard Dunwoody is any good at all, 28-1 is a gift. My tip..Laila Rouass, I'm going to get in early at 14-1.

IMO Laila would be a poor bet because she is partnered with Anton.

(Of course I said last year that Tom wouldn't win because of Camilla, so what do I know? )

Ali Bastian at 14-1 is a very very good deal I think. She's got some prior experience, she's quite pretty, and she's with a popular pro with reasonable choreo/teaching skills. I doubt that one will be available long.

I put £10 on Richard though . Mostly wishful thinking, but also that being able to get a hardworking, physically fit and personable sportsman at 33-1 is pretty good going!

(although I would have considered Ali if I'd noticed how long her odds are).

Is partnering Anton Du Beke now considered a drawback ?
I thought he was very popular ?
I take your point about Ali Bastian, so I might have a re-think.
I also have a feeling that Martina Hingis will be VERY good, I can't imagine her entering if she didn't consider that she had a real chance of winning.

My money is on Jade and Ricky Whittle to be the top two this year.

I can see Joe going the way of Austin Healey last year, ie built up as a sure-fire finalist only to be eliminated in a 'shock' exit, and Martina will be largely perceived as 'wanting it' too much - which is fatal for the chances of any female celeb I'm afraid...

He is, but some people will point you to his weaknesses at latin, which he inevitably passes on to his partners.

Whether this will stop him winning with a talented partner, who knows? Karen's ballroom isn't great and consequently Mark's wasn't very good either, but they still won without a problem. IMO Anton will never win though. I think a strong latin round will tend to win the final, so his partners will always be at a disadvantage however good their ballroom is.

True, but Ballroom is easier to get away with if your not that good at it, in comparision with latin (from the pros point of view anyway).

If he does make the final, the showdance (which is nearly always are latin themed) is what always usually decides the winner, so that could loose it for them . He could always try a ballroom one but I can see it ending the same way as the puppets and the two ostriches (aka, Lisa and Brendan).

IMO it has always been his sambas and salsa that have let him down. His rumbas and pasos seem to be up to the standard of some of the other pros.

If Joe shows even the slightest amount of talent he should take it in a walk. He's with a popular pro, he's good-looking, he's from a sporting background, and he's got form in winning popularity contestants. The only way I see him losing if the judges game the scoreboard at Top 4 or (a potential) Top 3.

The other hunks are with new pros who are already unpopular for being "identikit blondes" and replacing old pros with sizable fanbases, and are of awkward shapes to be dancers. The only woman with even the remotest chance of winning is Laila, and that's only if the public are still in "Poor Anton" mood. Maybe last year I think they would have, but that sentiment seems to have burnt itself out.

Tuffers might be an outside bet at being The Sarge substitute who could win or place. But he's also got a new, unpopular pro, so maybe not.

Joe also has someone good and popular as his pro who is due a high finish plus he has a regional vote and a sportsman on a journey story.

Tuffers looks like the ID kit winner but I doubt if he will be that good and even the SCD voters ought to realise they have heard his exact story twice before.

Martina and Ali look like the competition - if indeed we don't find they have flat feet in week one.

Jade might be in there but she doesn't have the profile of Denise.

Why are people betting on Ricky W? looks? fans?

Its due another female after last year's final - it will be beginning to look silly the girls turning up if another male makes it dancing worse or we get yet another outing for the sportsman finding their artistic side story - we must be on at least the sixth outing of that theme. .

well i think that zoe lucker could do great i really do !

Looks I think.

I think his odds are way too good, given that he apparently will be working 7am-7pm, then squeezing in four hours' training. Some of the others will probably get about twice as much training and twice as much sleep every day.

He will get by for a while like that until the older celebs are picked off, but I don't see him in the final.

Those who follow tennis over the years may like to comment. From what I saw of her, Martina had two characteristics:

She was known not for a high work rate or dour struggles, but for anticipating her opponent's moves, returning the ball at a skilful and unexpected angle, leaving her opponent flatfooted.

When things did not go her way the swiss miss tended to throw in the towel early, e.g. when she lost to Jennifer Capriati. In dance practice if she gets a niggling injury she could do the same.

On both these traits she would be the polar opposite of Steffi Graf.

I've just put a tenner @ 14/1 on Richard to be the top male.

I can think of good reasons why I don't want to bet on anybody else yet and just can't make up my mind, so I'm going to have to wait and see them all dance first even though the odds won't be so good!

Why is Tuffers pro 'no good' and how do we know? I understood that in his youth Tuffers was a good dancer.

I'm trying to work out which post says this? Monkseal said she was new and unpopular, which I'm not sure I agree with, but he did explain why.

Darren is the only pro who won the first year they entered (apart from Brendan obviously but they were all new that year so newness wasn't a disadvantage). So you could say it's a disadvantage but I'm not really convinced of that. Of new pros in general, only a couple have probably really had the chance to get to the final, let alone win, in their first year.

If Anton makes the final I can see him doing a ballroom themed showdance, perhaps in the style of Astaire and Rogers, and I have to say it would make a nice change to some of the pale flashdance imitations. The Anton/Erin Vincent/Flavia pro dance (ballroom) last year was one of the most memorable.


I think Tuffers is a big enough personality to compensate for the newness of the pro. He should get media coverage which means that, by default, the pro will also become well known. (A bit like John and Kristina, last year). Not sure whether to expect him to be really good or awful. It's a wait and see I think.
Last edited by Vivacious Lady : 06-09-2009 at 17:30

Oh great, my favourite is bottom of the heap lol

I had a little flutter on Brendan yesterday - I know he's not really got a chance but until we see everyone dance it's difficult to judge

I am an absolute duffer at betting.....just outside my field of experience so never bothered to understand it.........so which one is the worst odds Lynda ?? if so think she will last a lot longer than some of the others.

From what I can remember, the Show Dances generally don't have much impact on who actually wins the overall - they are usually so far ahead by that point it's accademic. - and the length of actual voting time left too small to have that much of an impact.

Camilla didn't do too badly with a ballroom themed show dance last year, either

So do I too - however partly because of the ageism debate - which is a shame as I like Lynda

I am hoping she will be OK....I like her in the personality stakes......I not sure people will think of her age (I never realised she was over 60 myself) I would have guessed at early to mid 50's ....which doesnt seem old to me I am sure Darren will do wonders with her.

In the publicity photos, she appears to have a cracking pair of legs on her, of which I am not jellus at all, in the slightest.

I thought that about Monica Seles in DWTS and look how that turned out!

Have to agree that the obvious stand out in that list of odds is Richard Dunwoody. After all I've read and heard about his work ethic and fitness levels I would think he's got the makings of at least a decent contender. I suspect his downside might turn out to be a less than sparkling personality, and you really need that to appeal to the core strictly voter whatever we may all say about basing our votes on dancing ability! A decent performace by someone you've warmed to will always rank higher than a similar job by someone you either dislike or are neutral about (ask Gabby - probably the most obvious victim of that particular syndrome )

I'm a bit surprised Ricky Groves is so far down too. I know he's not the youngest or fittest, but isn't he and his nearest and dearest talking up his dancing skills somewhat in interviews etc? That would be a daft thing to do if he's useless. If he does turn out OK, presumably he'll quickly pick up a decent following given his realtively high profile amongst this years list

Yes.....a slightly older version of Letitia Dean I DO hope the wardrobe department get over their issues with ladies who are larger in the boob department rather sooner than they did with Letitia .

Dunwoody looks like one of the best bets to me too.
As for personality, he has more of a personality than Joe Calzaghe whose price I find totally baffling.
Even if he proves to be the best dancer, he'l still struggle to top the public vote.
He reminds me a little of Chris Fountain in terms of personality. i.e he dosen't have much of one.