Archive for the ‘Entertainment’ Category
Get set for the most open Strictly Come Dancing ever!
Posted in Entertainment | Comments OffWilliam Hill think that Strictly Come Dancing 2010 will be the most open in its history and at first sight, there are no celebrities that stand out.
Hills make actress Kara Tointon joint 4/1 favourite with Michelle Williams and make Gavin Henson a 8/1 shot. The younger and more athletic names are usually the ones to watch.
Ann Widdecombe, Peter Shilton & Paul Daniels are 66/1 outsiders, and you can’t really argue with it. The more experienced members are certainly not fancied to go all the way.
The full field consists of:
Kara Tointon (4/1) – best known for her portrayal of Dawn Swann in EastEnders.
Matt Baker (9/2) – the former star of Blue Peter could me better known to a lot of people as the face of BBC One’s Countryfile.
Michelle Williams (9/2) – one third of the best selling R&B girl group of all time Destiny’s Child.
Scott Maslen (6/1) – model turned Walford heart-throb, Scott is best known for his portrayal of Jack Branning in EastEnders.
Tina O’Brien (6/1) – Tina spent eight years playing Sarah-Louise Platt on the cobbles of Coronation Street.
Gavin Henson (8/1) – often on the front and back pages, Gavin is an international rugby star and also had a 5-year relationship with Charlotte Church.
Patsy Kensit (10/1) – known for many things, Patsy has been in the industry since she was four. She started in Hollywood then married Liam Gallager and finished on Emmerdale.
Jimi Mistry (10/1) – Scarborough born Jimi has appeared alongside some big names in blockbusters such as East Is East, Blood Diamond and The Guru.
Goldie (20/1) – eccentric DJ Goldie has also appeared on EastEnders as well as a Bond movie and Celebrity Big Brother.
Felicity Kendall (25/1) – since starring in the 1970s sitcom The Good Life, Felicity has been in many TV shows and received an OBE.
Pamela Stephenson (33/1) – after becoming famous as the sex symbol from Not The Nine O’Clock News, Pamela married Billy Connolly and studied psychology.
Peter Shilton (66/1) – the most capped England footballer of all time, Peter Shilton was the goalkeeper in the famous Maradona ‘Hand of God’ incident.
Ann Widdecombe (66/1) – British Conservative politician, broadcaster and novelist, Ann is also known for her outspoken views on controversial issues.
Paul Daniels (66/1) – Paul started his magic career in the late 1970s and is still going at the age of 72, now that’s magic!
Copyright William Hill News | tv-shows or that of their respective owners.
Cheryl Tweedy 6/4 to be engaged by end of year
Posted in Entertainment | Comments OffNewly divorced Cheryl Cole is 6/4 to get engaged before the end of the year and 7/1 to have a perfect end to 2010 by getting engaged & being the winning manager of the X Factor.
Gamu is the 7/1 favourite to win the X Factor 2010 but Mary Byrne & Matt Cardle are close behind at 10/1.
“We think all Cheryl’s acts will get a boost as the public show their support for her and we are confident that she could well be walking up the aisle in the near future,” said Hill’s spokesman Rupert Adams.
6/4 Cheryl Cole engaged by end of year
Winning Manager: 15/8 Simon Cowell, 5/2 Cheryl Cole, Louis Walsh, 3/1 Dannii Minogue
William Hill X-Factor Winner: 7/1 Gamu Nhengu; 10/1 Mary Byrne; 10/1 Matt Cardle; 14/1 The Reason; 20/1 Kate Waissel; 20/1 Anastasia Baker; 20/1 Rebecca Creighton; 25/1 Holly Burns; 28/1 BAR
Copyright William Hill News | tv-shows or that of their respective owners.
X Factor betting: Gamu favourite but have bookies got REASONS to fear?
Posted in Entertainment | Comments OffWilliam Hill have seen money for boy band ‘The Reasons’ to win the X Factor and they have been slashed from 33/1 to 14/1.
That said Gamu is the hot favourite at William Hill, who offer 8/1 that she wins.
“Gamu will already cost us over £35,000 should she win, so we can only hope that the now banned auto-tuning made her sound better than she is!” said Hill’s spokesman Rupert Adams.
William Hill X Factor Winner: 8/1 Gamu Nhengu, 10/1 Mary Byrne, 14/1 Matt Cardle, 14/1 The Reasons, 20/1 Katie Waissel, 20/1 Anastasia Baker, 20/1 Rebecca Creighton, 25/1 Holly Burns, 28/1 Mark McGregor, 40/1 Bar
Copyright William Hill News | tv-shows or that of their respective owners.
Chantelle & Preston Back together – Will Anthony surprise Makosi again?
Posted in Entertainment | Comments OffWilliam Hill are offering 5/2 that Big Brother lovebirds, Preston & Chantelle, will rekindle their love in the house and be married by the end of 2011.
But perhaps the biggest story is whether or not Big Brother will reunite Makosi & Anthony Hutton and Hills offer 16/1 that he is introduced and 50/1 that the pair have another Big brother bonk!
“The Ultimate programme has proved popular with our punters and we hope that Anthony is produced in the next few days!” said Hill’s spokesman Rupert Adams.
Big Brother Next Eviction betting: 11/10 Makosi Musambasi, 6/5 Nadia Almanda, 8/1 Ulrika Jonsson, 9/1 Nikki Grahame, 12/1 Nick Bateman, 50/1 Chantelle Houghton
Ultimate Big Brother Outright: 4/6 Brian Dowling, 3/1 Chantelle Houghton, 10/1 Victor Ebuwa, 12/1 Nikki Grahame, 20/1 Ulirika Jonsson, 33/1 Michelle Bassm 33/1 Nick Bateman, 40/1 Nadia Almanda, 50/1 Samuel Preston, 80/1 Makosi Musambasi
Copyright William Hill News | tv-shows or that of their respective owners.
X Factor: Record Opening Night Ahead!
Posted in Entertainment | Comments OffWilliam Hill are gearing up for a busy X Factor with Simon Cowell and co hitting our screens at the weekend.
The X factor is one of the busiest reality TV betting markets that Hills bet on and over the series they expect to take over one Million Pounds before the final night in December.
“Reality TV betting has increased a thousand fold in the last five years and it is proving to be one of the biggest growth areas in our business,” said Hill’s spokesman Rupert Adams.
William Hill X-Factor:
2010 X-Factor Winner Christmas Number 1: 1/4
Winning Category: 2/1 Boys; 2/1 Girls; 5/2 Over 28s; 4/1 Group
Winning Judge: 13/8 Simon; 15/8 Cheryl; 7/2 Dannii; 4/1 Louis
William Hill X Factor Fact Sheets:
1, Biggest Bet In X Factor History: £15,000 on Alexandra Burke at 1/3….the customer collected £20,000
2, Biggest potential loser: In 2009 Jedward who would have cost William Hill over a million pounds
3, X Factor is one of only three markets that more women than men place a bet
4, Average bet on the X Factor is £8
5, In the final ten minutes of trading prior to Leona Lewis’s victory Hill’s accepted £112,448 across all channels
6, Worst Bet: A Hills customer from Shrewsbury, placed £4,500 on the brother & sister act Same Difference and would have collected £27,800 if they won…they did not.
7, The biggest price ever offered was 125/1 and was for Chico in 2005
Copyright William Hill News | tv-shows or that of their respective owners.
Jessica Ennis in to 7/1 for BBC Sports Personality!
Posted in Entertainment | Comments OffThere can be little doubt that that Jessica Ennis has become the nations new athletics darling and she is the 7/1 second favourite to be named as the 2010 BBC Sports Personality of the year with Hills.
The Sports Personality betting has been a minefield in recent years with the last four favourites failing to take the title and Hills offer 5/2 that the winner will come from outside the current top 11.
“Jessica is nudging up the list and she could end up as the favourite in the next few weeks,” said Hill’s spokesman Rupert Adams.
2010 BBC Sports Personality Of The Year: 2/1 Tony McCoy, 7/1 Jessica Ennis, 7/1 Mo Farah, 8/1 Andy Murray, 8/1 Hamilton, 10/1 Phil Taylor, 14/1 Graeme McDowell, 20/1 Lee Westwood, 20/1 Amy Williams, 25/1 David Haye, 25/1 Jenson Button.
Copyright William Hill News | tv-shows or that of their respective owners.
Mercury Prize – a rundown of the acts
Posted in Entertainment | Comments OffThe Mercury Prize, formerly known as the Mercury Music Prize, is a highly coveted award in the world of music and when you look at a list of the previous winners, it is not hard to see why.
To get on the shortlist is often enough to propel lesser-known acts in to the limelight so a victory is clearly huge for the smaller acts and also serves as positive reinforcement for the more established acts.
The shortlist this year is as ever selected by a selected panel of musicians, music executives, journalists and other figures in the music industry in the UK and Ireland.
In the past, the smaller names have been favoured which makes betting on the winner an interesting prospect! Here is a rundown of the artists and what you can expect from them:
The XX (15/8)
A personal favourite of mine and favourites to land this year’s award are The XX. Although they may not be as familiar as some of the other names on the list, in my opinion they have every right to be among the best.
Their eponymous debut album only peaked at 31 in the UK charts but received widespread critical acclaim. Rolling Stone magazine rated their album number nine and NME placed them second in their album of the year awards. The Guardian even thought so much of it they rated it the number one album of 2009.
Their genre is hard to define, among the attempts to pigeon-hole them have resulted in such genres as “dream pop”. Personally I found their album a grower, it got a lot better with more listens. Basic space and VCR are two of their most accessible hits and I recommend you give them a listen.
If the Mercury panel stick to their usual plan of giving it to more underground, cult acts then it is hard to see The XX being beaten by anyone else on this shortlist.
Wild Beasts (9/2)
This indie rock band has made it on the shortlist for their well received 2009 album Two Dancers. Another album that may have passed a lot of people by but also ranked highly on many ‘album of the year’ lists.
What sets this band aside from the seemingly countless indie bands on the scene these days has to be lead singer Hayden Thorpe. His rather unique “countertenor” (high-pitched) voice really distinguishes them.
Whether they are unique or impressive enough all round to see off highly rated competition remains to be seen though. There do seem to be artists in the shortlist that impress more.
Mumford & Sons (9/2)
Fans of the folkier side of rock will surely be fans of Mumford & Sons. Their sound is uplifting and reminiscent of the outstanding Fleet Foxes.
Their album Sigh No More did well in the charts and peaked at number six in the UK. Their standout song is Little Lion Man, a summery tune that was named ‘hottest record in the world’ by Zane Lowe of BBC Radio One.
Their album is undoubtedly a fine piece of work and they are in with a shout of receiving the acclaim they deserve. I would maybe rank them a little more among the outsiders that are worth an outside punt than hot favourites though.
Dizzee Rascal (7/1)
Dizzee has already won the Mercury Award in 2003 for his then groundbreaking album Boy In Da Corner. His sound and style have really changed since those more underground beats and now he is right in the mainstream pumping out plenty of dance floor anthems.
With songs such as Bonkers, Dance wiv me and Holiday, Dizzee’s 2009 album Tongue n’ Cheek was a hit with most of his fans as well as the media. It peaked at number three in the UK album charts and holds three number one singles.
I am not sure how willing the judges would be to see Dizzee lift his second Mercury Award while newer artists are pushed to one side so I personally think he will be a victim of his own success this year.
Corinne Bailey Rae (8/1)
Most people will recognise Corinne from her self-titled debut album with the 2006 anthem ‘Put Your Records On’. The Sea is her second album and was a huge hit which had a lot to do with the affect her husband’s death had on her music.
It is a real insight in to the pain she went through and could be worth an outside chance due to the circumstances surrounding it.
Paul Weller (8/1)
The Jam icon Paul Weller’s tenth studio album Wake Up The Nation received almost widespread praise. It is seen as the album where Paul is back to his best and if the judges are feeling nostalgic then he could be in with a shout.
‘The Modfather’ clearly still has ‘it’ and he could show the younger acts a thing or two by winning.
Foals (8/1)
Although their album Total Life Forever hit number eight in the UK chart and their sound is quite unique, I can’t really see this sort of band winning this year. Their sound is edgy, alternative and quite funky but I don’t really think it is widely liked enough to win.
There are better artists at better prices for me and their position in-between the big prices and favourites makes them hard to back.
Laura Marling (10/1)
This is just the sort of act that could shock a lot of people; an attractive, 20 year old singer songwriter with her folky, melodic tunes with impressive lyrics for such a young artist.
Laura is my outside tip, he album I Speak Because I Can peaked at number four and she clearly has a big following with over 60,000 record sales.
When you look at last year’s winner Speech Debelle, not many fancied the young singer to beat such established acts and she did, so why can’t it happen again?
I Am Kloot (11/1)
Sky at Night is I Am Kloot’s fifth album and the decision to stream it free on the Guardian’s website was clearly successful as the album has gained plenty of coverage and hits.
I think from this act onwards we see a big dip in the realistic chances they have of winning, regardless of how impressive they are.
The rest of the acts include:
Kit Downes Trio (14/1) – they are an acoustic jazz threesome whose members won the 2008 BBC Jazz Award for rising star.
Biffy Clyro (14/1) – the Scottish rockers are a big name on the scene but their album Only Revolutions has been overshadowed by some more impressive albums this year.
Villagers (14/1) – the Irish band are certainly worth a listen if you like folk rock, almost reminiscent of Simon and Garfunkel on their main hit Becoming A Jackal. With more publicity, I think they could be a lot bigger but I think this could be a bit out of their reach.
Copyright William Hill News | tv-shows or that of their respective owners.
Could It Be Another Power Play at the Honda Indy Toronto?
Posted in Entertainment | Comments OffMotor racing bettors are aware that the IndyCar season is one of peaks and valleys, and the Indianapolis 500 is not the end of it; in Toronto this week there may be another "power" play in the field, for certain, as the best IndyCar drivers gather at the Honda Indy Toronto, slated to begin on Sunday at 1 PM ET at Exhibition Place.
Copyright Other Betting at BetUS Sportsbook or that of their respective owners.
Handicapping the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest
Posted in Entertainment | Comments OffWe know that sportsbook bettor slove to handicap the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating contest which takes place this Sunday (as it does every 4th of July) in Coney Island, which is still a safe place if you go there during the day.
Joey Chestmut is back to defend his title, as he goes after his fourth win in a row.
Copyright Other Betting at BetUS Sportsbook or that of their respective owners.
Live Big Brother Fans Set To Stuff The Bookies
Posted in Entertainment | Comments OffBookies William Hill have slashed the price of Caoimhe being evicted from the BB house following a rush of cash and she is now the favourite to go at 8/13 from 2/1 with Shabby out to 6/4 and Sunshine a 9/1 shot.
“We were under the impression that Shabby was all but certain go but Big Brother aficionados watching the live feed saw that Caoimhe was kicking off in the house and lumped on. Proving once again betting on Big Brother is a great way to beat the bookies as real fans know as much if not more than we do,” said Hill’s spokesman Rupert Adams.
William Hill:
8/13 Caoimhe,
6/4 Shabby,
9/1 Sunshine
Big Brother Outright: 3/1 Corin; 4/1 Steve; 9/2 Josie; 13/2 Ben; 8/1 John James; 10/1 Mario; 16/1 Ife; 20/1 Nathan; 20/1 Sunshine; 33/1 Shabby; 50/1 Caoimhe; 66/1 Dave.
Copyright William Hill News | tv-shows or that of their respective owners.
Back to Top
Get our RSS feed
