It won’t be Chris McCausland taking home the 2024 Strictly Come Dancing glitterball trophy, according to the latest stats.
For many weeks, punters and bookmakers alike were backing the comedian for victory, with his odds growing increasingly favourable as the end of the season neared. Nonetheless, as we approach the series finale, there appears to be a shift in momentum, hinting at a potentially different champion emerging victorious.
Sarah Hadland’s odds have dramatically improved from 11/2 to 5/2 at BetMGM, placing her firmly in the battle for this year’s title. Despite coming third on the leaderboard in week seven, and still trailing behind the frontrunner Chris McCausland who is at 1/2, the surge in betting activity indicates she’s now a serious threat to his chances.
In the mix as well is Love Islands Tasha Ghouri, with her odds standing at 8/1, which makes her third favourite assuming the bettors have their predictions right.
Sam Behar, the UK director at BetMGM, commented on this intriguing twist: “There has been a big market move on Sarah Hadland to be crowned the next Strictly Come Dancing champion,” reports the Express.
Wrapping up his insights, he remarked: “Her odds of winning the Glitterball trophy have moved from 11/2 to 5/2 in the last few days. She’s still behind the 1/2 favourite Chris McCausland but has become a serious contender ahead of Tasha Ghouri at 8/1 and Jamie Borthwick at 20/1.”
Sarah is currently paired with Vito Coppola on the hit BBC show, and they paid tribute to none other than Madonna during last week’s programme for Strictly’s inaugural Icons Week.
The judges lavished praise on the duo, with Motsi Mabuse commending their ‘iconic’ performance. Head judge Shirley Ballas admired the ‘gorgeous’ details in their routine but noted a lack of “fluidity and flexibility”.
Anton Du Beke was left “speechless” by their dance, while Craig Revel Horwood described it as a “powerhouse performance”. The pair scored an impressive 37 out of 40 points from the panel.
Despite the tough competition and Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell being tipped as frontrunners for this series, Vito took a moment to applaud his fellow contestants for their hard work.
Demonstrating camaraderie and dispelling any notion of rivalry in the contest for the glitterball trophy, the Italian dancer took to social media to praise his colleagues.
He commented on a video posted by Dianne that highlighted her and Chris’s energetic Tango to a KISS track, which earned them 29 points. Vito wrote: “Love you guys. Chris we all love you and Gorji @diannebuswell I’m just so proud of you.”
Strictly Come Dancing is on BBC One and BBC iPlayer