Strictly Come Dancing’s Tasha Ghouri has now emerged as the favourite to clinch the title of the BBC hit show after wowing viewers and judges on the dance floor, dealing a crushing blow to another contestant.
Toyah Willcox’s chances of winning are looking bleak as her odds have taken a nosedive. Following last weekend’s pre-recorded launch show, the first week of the BBC One dance contest kicked off on Saturday night (September 21) with a routine from the professional dancers.
Before the show, JLS star JB Gill, who is partnered with Welsh professional Amy Dowden, was the bookies’ favourite to bag the Glitterball trophy but now Tasha Ghouri has leapfrogged him in the outright market, despite finishing second on last night’s leaderboard.
Tasha earned a standing ovation following her Cha Cha Cha performance to Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter alongside partner Aljaz Skorjanec. Head Judge Shirley Ballas praised the reality star for having ‘the most spectacular leg actions she has ever seen on this show’ and she was awarded a whopping 30 points from the panel.
The Love Island star, aged 26, is now priced at 3/1 to win. Close behind her is comedian Chris McCausland, whose odds have rocketed from 20/1 to a competitive 7/2 after impressing fans with an outstanding performance, nudging JB Gill into third place at 4/1, reports the Mirror.
Pete Wicks and Toyah Willcox have suffered setbacks according to the latest betting odds, with Pete’s chances falling from 16/1 to 20/1, and Toyah’s plummeting dramatically from 16/1 to 100/1. Consequently, Toyah has become the front-runner to be the first voted off next weekend, with odds standing at 3/6.
Kayley Cornelius of Betfred commented: “A tough first week for Toyah Willcox, who now finds herself trailing behind her peers at the bottom of the leaderboard after the first round of live performances. Priced at 3/6, she’s now the favourite to be the first eliminated from the competition.”
Cornelius added on the struggles of other competitors: “It wasn’t just a rough night for Toyah – Pete Wicks also struggled, and as a result, his odds of 16/1 to win have now been lengthened to a measly 20/1. He now finds himself in a worrying spot for next weekend and risks landing in the dance-off if he doesn’t step up his game.
“On the flip side, football pundit Paul Merson, who tied with Pete at a score of 17, may have caught a break. Before Saturday night, he was almost certain to be the first to go, but he’s shown he might offer more competition than expected. While his position is still shaky and priced at 2/1 to go next weekend, if Paul delivers on the dancefloor, he could survive another week.
“Meanwhile, Nick Knowles seems to have turned things around. Like Paul, Nick’s chances on the show looked grim, but after narrowly beating Paul and Pete by a single point this weekend, a solid performance next week could keep him in the competition a little longer.”