Points Are Not Equating to Prices in Strictly Come Dancing
Hopefully Fleur East has not looked at the latest Strictly Come Dancing betting. If she has, the 2014 X Factor runner-up will be asking herself what she has done to deserve her lowly position in the market. The top novelty betting sites have her priced at a dismissive 25/1 to win the Glitterball Trophy.
The 35-year-old scored the first perfect 40 score of the series on Saturday night when the dance competition returned to the historic Blackpool Tower Ballroom for the first time since 2019. The result was no flash-in-the-pan. A week earlier East scored a table-topping 39 judges’ points.
Scoring the maximum 40 points in last Saturday’s show, Fleur East must be wondering what she needs to do to please the punters. ©BBC
But the singer – who finished fourth in 2018s I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here – seemingly has no fans amongst punters, and bookmakers have placed her fourth in the betting list. Her chances appear slim.
Hamza Yassin became the show’s odds-on favorite four weeks ago, and his price has continued to shorten ever since. The William Hill bookies review found they offer only 2/7 about the wildlife presenter, but that represents the best price amongst the leading TV specials betting sites.
Despite Low Scores, Taylor Can Survive Again
Regardless of what the bookmakers suggest, from the judge’s viewpoint, this is a finely poised race. Fleur may have celebrated top marks on Sunday, but her rivals also earned impressive scores. Helen Skelton was awarded 39 points, Hamza scored 38, Molly Rainford and the eliminated Tyler West, both carded 35.
Of the remaining contestants, Ellie Taylor is under immense pressure to stay in the show beyond week ten. Possessing the lowest average score of the remaining contestants – and achieving a lowly 31 for the past two weeks – the comedian is 6/4 to be the next eliminated.
Taylor is 80/1 to avoid the exit and go on to win Strictly 2022. Slightly shorter is Kym Marsh at 66/1. Molly Rainford can be backed at 50/1 with the Coral online sportsbook. This pair is individually quoted at 3/1 to be the next contestant shown the door.
Rainford Headed for a Fourth Dance Off?
Rainford has to be of interest in the ‘next elimination’ market. The 21-year-old CBBC actress has been in a dance-off three times during the past five weeks. Remarkably, despite her long list of low scores, Ellie Taylor has never had to survive a dance-off.
Interestingly, only two performers that have carded the lowest score on the night have subsequently been eliminated. Furthermore, Taylor, Hamza Yassin, Will Mellor and Helen Skelton have never found themselves in a dance-off.
It all suggests Ellie Taylor can find enough love from the voting public to avoid an appointment with the dreaded dance-off once again. Therein, if not backing Rainford to leave on Sunday, our suggestion is to lay Taylor in the ‘next elimination’ markets found at the leading betting exchanges.
What Time Is Strictly on TV?
This week’s Strictly Come Dancing will air live on Saturday at 7.15 pm on BBC 1. It can also be viewed on the BBC’s streaming service, BBC iPlayer. The spin-off show, Strictly: It Takes Two is screened during weeknights on BBC 2. It is also streamed on iPlayer.
To avoid a clash with the high-profile Spain versus Germany World Cup match, Sunday’s Strictly Come Dancing results show will be broadcast at the earlier time of 6.00 pm. As this is a pre-recorded production, betting on the next eliminated celebrity will be suspended on Saturday evening.
