OddsAgainst

The Australian Open: Battle Stations for the Walking Wounded in the Men’s Singles

2012-01-12T07:11:00.000-08:00

The draw for the Australian Open will be made on Friday 13 January and the leading players will be hoping for an easy ride through the Melbourne tournament as many of them nurse niggling injuries. Their fans will themselves become physical wrecks in the next couple of weeks as they follow their favourites’ progress on the telly through the night.

Play starts on Monday, 16 January and although it is not possible at this early stage to be definitive about the players’ chances, there is no doubt that defending champion and World No.1 Novak Djokovic is the favourite to win the Men’s Singles. Novak dominated Men’s tennis in 2011, winning 3 Grand Slams alone, and the Serbian’s start to this new year has been strong, with a thrilling performance at the recent Abu Dhabi exhibition tournament. The bookmaker Ladbrokes places Novak at the top of the betting tree, with best odds of 11/8 for a win in the Final. Novak himself is extremely confident of his chances in Melbourne, commenting “I must say I’m really happy with the way I’m playing. Playing against the top players in the world in this way gives me a lot of confidence”.

Don’t discount the Swiss phenomenon that is Roger Federer, though. The World No.3 retains a powerful will to win and his recent back problems – which may have contributed towards his lacklustre performance against Novak Djokovic in the Abu Dhabi Semi-Final - are now said to be largely resolved. Bookmakers Bet 365 offer competitive odds of 3/1 that Roger will pull out another win.

But there is a man who is Hungry to win, with a capital “H”. Andy Murray is a Scot with a will to win that would put William Wallace to shame. He has been beaten in 2 finals at the Australian Open – by Roger Federer in 2010 then Novak Djokovic last year; third time lucky this time round? Andy has recently brought former tennis champion Ivan Lendl into his team and this must give him added confidence in his ability to win. Coach and tennis guru Tony Roche commented that “Every player is looking for the edge, the advantage that could turn out to be the decisive one. Ivan knows what it takes to turn things around and to start winning when it matters. I don’t see it being anything other than a great appointment for Andy”. Bookmakers agree and Andy Murray is offered at best betting odds of 4/1 with Stan James.

Rafael Nadal is the last of the fiercesome foursome to consider. The World No. 2 plans to take the whole of February off, in recognition that his body needs some t.l.c. in light of recent injuries to his shoulder, and his punishingly physical style of play. Rafa recently commented that “my shoulder is good, I’ll try to do my best” Bookmakers Paddy Power offer the Spaniard to win at 4/1 but most bookmakers place him below Andy in the betting in light of his injury worries.

Other players chasing at the heels of the four lead contenders are Argentinian Juan-Martin Del Potro (11/1 to win with bookmaker Paddy Power), Jo-Wilfred Tsonga from France (14/1 with bookmaker Coral) who recently won the title at Doha, and Czech Tomas Berdych (40/1 with Ladbrokes).

Aussie fans will be supporting their new kid on the block, 19 year-old Bernard Tomic, who is their highest ranked male tennis player and the youngest player in the top 100. The youngster is gaining rapidly on his rivals but may not have a realistic chance of a title here and this is reflected in the betting odds of 50/1 from bookmaker William Hill. Let’s hope that his performances give the Aussies something to cheer about!

The Oscars 2012: The Low Down on Nominees

2012-01-10T06:51:00.000-08:00

For anyone who loves going to the cinema, the past year has been a real treat with more to come in the next few weeks. For example, “War Horse”, directed by Steven Spielberg, premiered in London on Sunday 9 January with the Margaret Thatcher Biopic “The Iron Lady” following on Tuesday 10 January, also in London town. Also in the same week, the Academy Awards Nominations Polls will close on, inauspicious for some, Friday 13 January.

There are 4 categories that represent the Blue Riband of cinema. They are Best Picture (of course), Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress. Beyond that there are a myriad of other categories which make viewing the ceremony itself, due to take place on Sunday 26 February, a bit of an epic even for ardent film lovers.

The Academy has changed its voting rules for this, the 84^th Academy Awards presentation, making it more difficult to predict the nominees. With the polls due to close on Friday 13 January and the announcement of nominees to be made on Tuesday 24 January, speculation is rife about who will be attending the beauty parade of the nominees’ lunch in early February.

In terms of Best Picture, no one would doubt that The Artist will feature in the list. This French and largely silent movie featuring previously unknown actors, is a major contender and indeed is reckoned by the bookmakers to be the leading film in the race with odds offered of 8/15 by William Hill. The film won 6 Golden Globe nominations, the most of 2011. Its Director, Michel Hazanavicius, will undoubtedly also be on the list for Best Director. Alexander Payne’s The Descendants is also highly likely to be on the list (at best odds of 9/2 from Paddy Power), as is Martin Scorsese’s imaginative film Hugo, at 9/1 with the same bookmaker. War Horse is fancied by the bookmakers, with SkyBET offerering odds of 13/2, but industry insiders reckon that this film will not be a major winner this year. Other possibilities include The Help, Midnight in Paris, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and Moneyball.

For Best Director, you would do well to look to the Directors Guild for guidance. Since 1948, winners of the Directors Guild award have featured as Best Director at the Oscars in 58 out of 64 occasions. Nominations for the Directors Guild award, winner not yet announced, include Martin Scorsese for Hugo, Woody Allan for Midnight in Paris, Alexander Payne for The Descendants, David Fincher for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Michel Hazanvicius for The Artist. Interestingly, Stephen Spielberg does not get a look in, nor does Terence Malick for The Tree of Life. Again, the money is on Michel Hazanavicius with bookies William Hill placing him at evens in the running, with Alexander Payne at 3/1, Martin Scorsese at 9/2 and Steven Spielberg at 4/1.

The likely nominations for Best Actor include some of the most fancied men on the planet. Step up George Clooney (for The Descendants), Brad Pitt (Moneyball), and Leonardo deCaprio (J Edgar). Of these 3 stellar talents, only Geoge Clooney has previously won an Oscar and this was for Best Supporting Actor so these men are hungry for a win. Jean Dujardin is also in the running for The Artist. But could it be Michael Fassbender’s year? This amazingly fearless and talented actor ‘s performance in Shame could upset the applecart for the three glamazons. Likewise, the immensely talented Brit Gary Oldman performed out of his socks in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. The smart money is on George Clooney who is offered at odds of 10/11 by bookies William Hill with Jean Dujardin at odds of 15/8, Leonardo deCaprio at 3/1 and Brad Pitt at 8/1. Michael Fassbender and Gary Oldman remain outside chances at odds of 12/1 and 10/1 respectively. We can but hope!

And now for the ladies...Meryl Streep is certain to be nominated for her performance as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady. This would represent the 17^th nomination in her illustrious career. She has previously won 2 Oscars and she is leading lady for this one too with odds of 8/11 offered by bookmakers Stan James. Michelle Williams is one of the leading actresses of her generation and her portrayal of Marilyn Monroe in My Week With Marilyn was outstanding. Bookmakers William Hill reckon that she is very close to Meryl Streep in the running, at odds of 2/1. Viola Davis, star of The Help, is also a contender (at odds of 5/2 from Ladbrokes) as is Tilda Swinton for We Need To Talk About Kevin. Tilda Swinton is gaining ground on the others, a fact confirmed by her recent nominations for a Screen Actors Guild award, a Golden Globe award AND a Critics Choice award and she is offered at odds of 7/1 by bet365. Youngster Rooney Mara also took on a challenging role as star of the English-speaking re-make of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (odds of 10/1 with bookies William Hill). Other nominations may include previous Oscar winner Charlize Theron for Young Adult (14/1 with bookmaker Stan James)and Glenn Close for Albert Noble (7/1 with the same bookie).

The razzmatazz of the Oscars is enormous and the lead-up will be full of incident, as always, but Academy Award members have to look beyond the hype as they share a massive responsibility to reward the best of the best with the most significant awards in the movie business. The four Oscars – for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress – are the lynchpins of the 84^th Academy Awards ceremony. Take your seat on Sunday 26 February and enjoy the show!

Celebrity Big Brother reveals the talent to heat up ratings

2012-01-06T07:51:00.000-08:00

Celebrity Big Brother hit the air on Thursday 6th January as Channel 5 commenced its second broadcast of the show in six months. Last night, former Big Brother contestant Brian Dowling introduced the new cast he expects will spice up interest in the flagging reality TV show for its second series since Channel 4 dropped the show due to poor ratings.

It wasn't difficult to spot what the Channel 5 executive believe will turn viewers on, disgraced X Factor contestant Frankie Cocozza has been thrown a lifeline and will get the chance to cause mayhem with Playboy twins Kristina and Karissa Shannon. The playful glamour girls don't mind sharing as they proved when famously moving into the Playboy Mansion in 2008 to become two of Hugh Hefners three girlfriends. The twins look likely to hot things up in the Celebrity Big Brother house and they bring an impressive fan base, witnessed when their appearance in The Girls Next Door attracted a record 2.4 million viewing audience. The twins presence in the house could bring some saucy gravy to Celebrity Big Brother ratings which averaged 3 million in its previous series.

The fuse may have been lit for some long running arguments between Ryan Giggs kiss-and-tell sister-in-law, Natasha Giggs and Page 3 model Nicola McClean. Married to Kettering Town FC player Tom Williams, Natalie is an outspoken WAG who is not afraid to have get involved in a spat. She has a history of tweeting her disapproval at girls who sell their stories on footballers, so Natasha will fall right onto Natalie's radar. The pair may be at the forefront of Paddy Power's thinking when they cut their odds for a physical fight to take place in the house from 10/1 to 6/1.

Former Eastender, Natalie Cassidy who played Sonia, is looking to raise her profile despite featuring in a few stage shows since leaving the BBC soap. Natalie drew the short straw in the opening programme, she was fitted with an earpiece and had to follow Big Brothers orders, including giving the talentless Frankie a kiss on the lips. Frankie will be grateful for more of the same from some of the other ladies, including Irish model Georgia Salpa. He'll need to watch his step with designated house mother Denise Welch who is one of the stars of daytime TV show Loose Women.

Georgia recently made the headlines for dating Calum Best and following their recent break up when Calum was caught two-timing the Greek born model, Paddy Power is betting 3/1 that viewers will see her cry real tears while sharing her story with the housemates.

The girls get their own eye candy in the shape of So Solid Crew's Romeo Dunn, who joined Hollywood actor Michael Madson and womanising Kirk Norcross. Norcross tool the opportunity to confirm has has left The Only Way Is Essex in order to strut his stuff in the Celebrity Big Brother house. Rugby hunk Gareth Thomas retired from the sport after coming out as gay in 2009 and has joined the house along with Pineapple Studio star Andrew Stone. Not one to hide his light under a bushel, former dance instructor Stone reckons he is more talented than Justin Timberlake and claims to be a lead singer and songwriter of a band still waiting to make an impression of the public - he's sure to divide opinion inside and outside the Celebrity Big Brother house.

The bookies have made Natalie Cassidy the early favourite to win Celebrity Big Brother and she is available at odds of 11/4 with a few bookmakers including Betfred who also go best price for second favourite Kirk Norcross. Gareth Thomas who was voted top of the Pink List in 2010 and won Stonewall's hero of the year in another leading contender in the betting with the best odds of 11/2, again available at Betfred.

Jodie tweets her bodybuilding form

2011-12-30T04:57:00.000-08:00

When Jodie Marsh showed off her toned and naked body at her 33rd birthday bash, Ladbrokes odds compilers took the opportunity to assess if the Essex lass has been keeping up her bodybuilding regime since her break up with personal trainer Brad Pearmain. They must have been suitably impressed with Jodie's muscular tone because they make her odds-on at 4/5 to win a recognised UK body building event in the New year.

In just twelve short months the former glamour girl has gone from self-confessed pariah to promising bodybuilding newcomer and pin-up.
"I've had an amazing year," she told The Sun at a Christmas photo shoot. "I didn't know what to expect when my bodybuilding photos came out but people have been so positive — their comments and encouragement have made me so happy."

The bodybuilding beauty gave her 50,000 twitter followers a treat by posting naked pictures taken at her birthday party. Wearing nothing but a furry hat and boots, Jodie posed outdoors before moving into the garage where she showed off her incredible physique on the back of a Harley Davidson bike which she shared on Twitter along with a teasing joke: "There. That's my present to all of you. Now what have you got me?”

Single for two years, Jodie thought she'd found love when she met personal trainer Brad Pearmain, 27, in October. The pair spoke excitedly of competing together in bodybuilding shows and a happy ending for lovelorn Marsh seemed to be on the horizon. But Jodie said: "I found out some really unsavoury things about Brad and knew I had to end it. I confronted him about some aspects of his past and he did a runner the next day.

The frisky exhibitionist has been left wondering what odds she'll find a lovemate and explains: "I find it so hard to trust men now that I always wait for ages before agreeing to sex. I've had so many s*** men in my life that I get scared of letting go. I'm basically celibate and like a virgin again. God knows what it would take to sleep with me now!"

Bookmakers will typically respond to awkward requests with the brickbat "no offers", but I'm sure that won't be the case if Ms Marsh comes calling.

Robin Van Persie Good Value For Golden Boot

2011-12-23T04:27:00.000-08:00

Arsenal striker Robin Van Persie looks good value to finish this season as the Premier League leading goalscorer. Van Persie converted a penalty at Villa Park on Wednesday to take his tally to 16 Premier League goals and maintain a three goal cushion over nearest challenger Sergio Aguero of Manchester City.
Unibet a leading Scandanavian bookmaker currently quote the Dutch international at odds of 13/8 which will prove good value if Van Persie can stay clear of injury.

Alongside Segio Aguero on 13 Premier League goals is Manchester United's Wayne Rooney who can be backed at odds of 4/1 with Victor Chandler. Rooney is clearly a threat to Van Persie but is often deployed in a deeper role nowadays and he may struggle to register +25 goals which will be required to win this season's Golden Boot.

Aguero should prove to be the main threat and free scoring Manchester City will provide plenty of ammunition for him in the second half of the season. At odds of 11/4 with Bet365, Van Persie backers may choose to have a small saver on Aguero as this is likely to develop into a two horse race as the season progresses.

Van Persie is also eyeing up another record , this time the record for the most Premier League goals in a calendar year which has been held by Alan Shearer since 1995 when he bagged 36 goals for Newcastle United, an amazing achievement. Van Persie can break the record if he can score three goals in his two remaining Arsenal games of 2011 which are at home to Wolves on December 27th and QPR on New Years Eve. This is entirely possible but bookie Bet365 are about right with their odds of 5/2 for Van Persie to break the record and 2/7 that he will not.

Good luck to him for next week and the Golden Boot award.

The Queen’s Speech Is A-Changing

2011-12-15T07:55:00.000-08:00

10 days to Christmas...time to do your checklist. Turkey and all the trimmings, tick. Presents for family and friends, tick. Christmas cards written and posted, tick. TV schedule reviewed and programmes picked, not ticked. There’s plenty of time for that, after all. Downton Abbey is in the starting blocks, there are the usual soaps to watch, oh and there’s the Queen’s speech too.

But how many of us watch the Queen’s speech now? It used to be essential viewing for all the family and indeed the whole street, but for years now the tradition of settling down on the sofa together to listen to the Queen’s review of the year has been in decline.This year, though, the viewing figures may buck the trend for two reasons. Firstly, Rupert Murdoch’s Sky News is producing the programme for the first time with all the media fire power that it brings with it and, we hope, some unseen footage of the second reason for more viewers...the wedding this year of Prince William to Kate Middleton. National and international interest in the new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge is enormous and positive, so the producers can expect many new viewers to turn on their tellies to watch the Queen this year.

At its peak in 1987, 27 million of us tuned in to see the Queen’s Speech. Over the past two decades numbers have declined dramatically as the Royal Family has diminished in importance to many of us, and has lost much of the respect it once held. Nonetheless, whilst other members of her family do not command affection in our hearts, the Queen herself is almost universally respected and admired by the British public.

The bookmakers William Hill reckon that viewing figures will be under 9 million this Christmas, offering odds of 4/6 for that eventuality and 11/10 for over 9 million. This represents a significant increase on 2005 when the figures were the lowest ever at 7 million in total.

The content of the speech has not been released (who wants to be a spoiler for the Queen?) but William Hill predict that William and Kate’s wedding will be on the agenda (betting odds are 1/10 that it will!) as will the Olympic Games 2012 (odds of 1/10 again) and of course the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan (odds of 1/6).

The bookmaker offers odds on a variety of other topics that may crop up but, interestingly, it offers long odds on the subject of Mike Tindall being included. The disgraced England rugby star married the Queen’s grand-daughter, Zara Phillips, in the summer but his lacklustre performance on the pitch at the World Cup and, most particularly, his disastrous performance off the pitch (remember the footage of cavorting in the nightclubs anyone?) push the chances of a mention to 33/1.

But, Mike Tindall apart, the stellar appeal of the wedding, Prince Philip’s 90^th birthday, the Queen’s historic visit to Ireland and the start of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations which will last for much of next year may all add enormous appeal and comfort to the public, both at home and abroad. The Address to the Commonwealth, as the speech is properly known, will take place on Christmas Day at 3pm. Book your spot on the sofa now!

The X Factor Final: Going Down a Storm

2011-12-08T06:02:00.000-08:00

As the country is being severely lashed by a harsh winter storm, it’s definitely time to plan your weekend viewing. Strictly? Tick. X Factor? Tick, and double tick. Because this Saturday at 8pm on ITV1, it’s the start of the X Factor final which promises to be a lavish and entertaining affair over two consecutive nights. The four X Factor judges will take their seats in front of a wildly excited audience some 10,000 strong to help the viewing public to choose the X Factor winner for 2011.

The show thrives on controversy but this season things have soured somewhat in the X Factor camp. The ratings have dropped from previous series and the ill-judged comments - from judges Tulisa Contostavlos and Louis Walsh regarding the immensely talented contestant, Mischa B, who was booted out last week – have really not helped matters. Whatever her behaviour off stage, Mischa B was recognised by all judges as a fully fledged star. Let’s hope that star does not now fall.

That said, there is a lot still to celebrate on Saturday’s programme which features the first ever girl band to reach an X Factor Final. Little Mix’s members – Jesy Nelson, Perrie Edwards, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Jade Thirlwall – are hotly fancied to win the show this year despite being a little rough around the edges in their performances. Bookmaker bet365 offers betting odds of 13/10 that Little Mix will win the Final, which reflects the massive support that the four young women enjoy from the viewing public. They are expected to perform with their mentor Tulisa, who has not yet sung on the show, singing a medley of Alicia Keys’ If I Ain’t Got You and Empire State of Mind.

Not be be outdone, judge Kelly Rowland is also performing in the final with contestant Amelia Lily. They are expected to sing River Deep, Mountain High together and it will be interesting to see if Kelly manages to avoid hogging all the attention on this occasion. Her recent performance on X Factor was breath taking, not least for her revealing costume, and the producers must make sure that she does not detract from Amelia Lily’s own performance. Judge Gary Barlow commented on last week’s show that Amelia still has to find her gentle voice but the choice of music will play to her strengths, rather than highlight this perceived weakness.

Amelia Lily, from the North East, has had a turgid week. After a technical mix-up at HMV, which made her winners single available for pre-download before the final had even taken place, she is said to be distraught. Coming back into the show after being initially booted off, she has had a tough time gaining the support of the public and allegations of competition manipulation will not help her cause. She is just 17 years old and this performer will need all her youthful resilience to gain the crown of X Factor winner. On line bookmaker Victor Chandler place her as second favourite to win with best betting odds of 12/5.

Last but not least in this year’s trio of finalists is the Liverpudlian Marcus Collins who is mentored by Gary Barlow of Take That. Marcus has not put a foot wrong in the past few weeks but he is no longer favourite to win the competition being placed at third in the betting now, at odds of 11/4 from Ladbrokes. Gary Barlow is hugely supportive of Marcus and showed his tough love on Monday when he banned Marcus from performing at Gary’s Royal Albert Hall gig due to Marcus’s throat infection. All contestants have visited their home towns this week to drum up support and publicity and Marcus’s tumultuous welcome in Liverpool will boost him up for Saturday’s performance, throat permitting. It is reported that Marcus and Gary will duet with the Billy Joel hit Always a Woman. Gary is loved by the public and is a strong performer so his presence will undoubtedly boost Marcus’s chances.

And what will fourth judge do whilst the other three are doing their thing? Louis Walsh will be sitting it out in a rather peeved manner, we imagine. Gary and Louis have been bickering regularly on the live show with Louis commenting “you’re lucky you have an act in the final”; Louis has none! Just sour grapes for him...

With Coldplay, Michael Buble, Leona Lewis, JLS and One Direction also due to perform at Wembley, the X Factor 2011 Final promises to be most entertaining. The final will be split over Saturday and Sunday night. On the Saturday, the three finalists will sing two songs each whilst the public vote for who they want to win. At the end of the show, public voting will be completed and the contestant with the least support will leave the competition. The two remaining acts will go head-to-head on the Sunday show during which the winner will be announced. Then the X Factor fun is over and, phew, we can get on with present shopping for our friends and family, and all the forthcoming festive fun!

Amy Winehouse Favourite For Xmas No1 Album

2011-11-30T04:08:00.000-08:00

Everyone likes a treat at Christmas. Mulled wine, turkey with all the trimmings (aren’t the trimmings the whole point, after all), a box of chocs, a new book and and the latest album...what could be better? Time to kick off your chunky work shoes, put on your sheepskin slippers, and just chill out. If you can avoid the family rows, or the heinous washing up duty that is.

The retailers want shopping to be festive fun with all shops dutifully festooned with baubles and tinsel, and tempting offers laid out near the entrances. And isn’t it better to give, rather than receive? No, no, no ...it is not! Present-buying is a fraught and largely unrewarding experience, tainted by the threat of a tearful and disappointed child, partner or parent. No wonder many of us leave our high street shop until last minute. The internet retailers are enjoying yet another increase in year-on-year sales this year as people prefer to minimise the pain by staying out of the crowded high streets and shopping on the internet from their comfortably and toasty living rooms.

But get it right and you are well in with the family. That thoughtful and well-considered present is worth the effort if you can raise a smile from Grumpy Grandad or Truculent Teenager. One gift that never loses its allure, being good value for the buyer AND enjoyable for the recipient, is a really great album. It fits in a Christmas stocking, just about, is easy to wrap and can give pleasure for years. What’s not to like?

For Christmas 2011, the choice is however pretty endless. You can opt for the old favourites that perhaps aren’t already in the CD stack, or be bold and buy some new music that will get feet tapping. Amy Winehouse will be a popular choice this year. Following her tragic death in July, her family have released “Lioness: Hidden Treasures” , a new album of tracks recorded shortly before she dies, with profits being given to the Amy Winehouse Foundation established in her memory. Amy’s singing is electric and her jazz theme will appeal to all ages, although the album itself is somewhat random and uneven in content and delivery, perhaps reflecting her erratic and poignant life.

Another artist to consider is Michael Buble. The Canadian star, who has been described as “an heir to Sinatra” has released an album simply titled “Christmas”. This includes classics such as White Christmas, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, and Santa Claus is Coming to Town. The album will undoubtedly add festive cheer to Christmas day.

If you reckon that boy bands may be more the thang, JLS and One Direction both have albums out just now. JLS’s third album Jukebox was released in November and its two singles have already performed well in the charts. This hardworking band’s last album sold over 1.2 million copies and you wouldn’t bet against them repeating this success. One Direction are a more recent band which was formed during the X Factor’s seventh series. Up All Night is One Direction’s debut album, following on from a Number One Single, What Makes You Beautiful, in September. Both albums are good stocking fillers for the younger contingent. Okay, they are not a boy band (a man band?) but consider also the great new album from Coldplay, the unpronounceable but joyful Mylo Xyloto. Coldplay fans in your family would love this gift for sure.

If you’re looking for something sassy from the girls, what about Rihanna’s “Talk That Talk”? Perhaps not for pre-teens though as she’s made of strong stuff, that Rihanna! You can’t beat Florence and The Machine just now, either. The edgy Florence belies her ethereal appearance and girlish speaking voice with her enormously powerful and fiercely individualistic performances in “Ceremonials”. The ubiquitous Kelly Rowland is another possibility with her album “Here I am”. Kelly has been a judge on the X Factor juggernaut this autumn and her profile with the British public has never been higher. She is “of the moment” for sure, so her album may go down a treat with X Factor aficionados.

Talking of X Factor, Susan Boyle just has to be the competition’s most successful winner. Her recent album release “Someone to Watch Over Me” will be a big seller this yuletide and is another possibility to add to your Christmas list.The phenomenal successes of Adele’s debut album 19 and her follow-up album 21 have provided a stellar music news story. With millions of these 2 albums already sold, the only question you need to ask is “Are they already in that CD stack?”. Tread carefully, you don’t want to disappoint. Finally, and let’s deal with this quickly, Justin Bieber’s Mistletoe. Pre-teen girls. Enough said!

The bookmakers have a view on all these albums, worth thinking about if you want to give THE Christmas Number One Album. Bookmaker Ladbrokes reckons that Amy Winehouse’s posthumous albums will reach the Number One slot, offering best betting odds of 5/4, with Michael Buble following her at odds of 6/4. JLS, Rihanna and One Direction share odds of 6/1, with Kelly Rowland and Susan Boyle at odds of 12/1. The other acts are not considered strong contenders to be Album of the Year, but that doesn’t mean that they won’t impress your family. Time to pick your winner!

David Beckham Heading For Paris St Germain

2011-11-24T00:44:00.000-08:00

At the grand old age of 36, football superstar and cultural phenomenon David Beckham is on the move again. His five year tenure at LA Galaxy has resulted in increased revenue and interest in his American club and, indeed, with US soccer in general. More importantly for Beckham, he has ended his final season on a high, with his team winning the Major League Soccer title. His contract ends on 31 December and his fans and the media are waiting with eager anticipation for news of his next move.

David Beckham courts and attracts attention in equal measure. His worth as Brand Beckham is significant and rising, despite these being the twilight years of his playing career. Most recently, he has been signed up to a £5 million contract to be the new face of Sainsbury’s, reflecting his management team’s strategy to pursue mainstream interests and project family values.

21st century cultural icons do not come greater than David Beckham who is recognised world-wide. In Japan, according to Brand Management, Beckham is the second most recognisable foreign word after Coca-Cola. Although David Beckham and his team continue to build upon his celebrity and the enormous international goodwill towards him, make no mistake, Beckham is still hungry to play top level football.
Despite debilitating injuries this season, David Beckham seeks a final top level club at which to end his illustrious career. This will be an end in itself but would also further his ambition to represent his country at the 2012 Olympics for which he has been an effective ambassador. He would be reluctant to return to the UK to play in the Barclays Premier League, unless he was playing for his former club Manchester United. However, this looks a remote prospect despite his stated admiration for the Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson.

Several English clubs have examined the option of signing Beckham. Tottenham for example has been touted as one possibility. Scandanavian bookmakers Unibet have longer odds of 10/1 which may better reflect the reality of the situation. Tottenham manager, Harry Redknapp has said that Beckham would struggle to get a game ahead of players such as Aaron Lennon and Rafael van der Vaart.

QPR, bankrolled by Air Asia tycoon Tony Fernandes, remains a possibility and the bookmakers offer slightly higher odds on a signing at 13/1 (Unibet) .

But the lure of Paris may instead prove irresistible for the former England captain. Paris Saint-Germain are strongly touted to be the future employer of Monsieur Beckham. As he weighs up his options, the odds are that he will make the move early in 2012. Unibet are pretty confident of this, offering betting odds of only 2/5. But will Beckham be willing to up sticks from sunny LA for a year-long contract in Paris? Family and friends will figure in his calculations but equally he will wish to end his career on a high. Decisions, decisions...

Amelia must Think about song choice says Craig

2011-11-21T06:51:00.000-08:00

Amelia Lily sensationally survived the sing-off against Craig Colton on Sunday to keep her place among the X Factor contestants, but have her chances of winning the show been harmed as a result?

The X Factor judges were unable to decide between the bottom two acts and it was left to the public to seal the fate of the two singers. Craig didn’t impress the live audience with his rendition of the James Bond theme song License to Kill, originally performed by Gladys Knight and had to say his farewells after receiving the least votes.

Amelia beat three other acts to earn a return in place of axed Frankie Cocozza and won the accolades of the judges on her comeback appearance last week. Her show stopping rendition of Queen’s The Show Must Go On even caused the bookmakers to sit up and take notice and she emerged from the show as a surprising favourite to win X Factor. However, the 17-year-old from Middlesbrough was unable to make the same impact with Aretha Franklin’s Think on Saturday night’s show and found herself escaping the boot by the skin of her teeth.

Amelia was disappointed to find herself back in the bottom two after such a glorious return and understands she must quickly build up a fan base after re-entering the competition at such a late stage. “It was the worst thing I've ever had to do in my life but I'm so grateful to have been saved, I've just got to make sure I really put it out the bag next week,” she said after the show. 'I think these guys have got huge fan bases and mine isn't quite as big yet.

'Obviously I've been away from the competition for five weeks so I think it's just the thing of getting my fan base.'

Gritty Amelia is refusing to admit defeat and when asked is if she could win X Factor replied: “I'd like to think I can. I know I've got the determination to get to the final and I know I've got potential in me, it's just down to the public now to give me the chance.”

The bookies are keeping faith with the teenager and are having a hard time deciding between Kelly Rowland’s remaining trio of girls as the most likely winner. Victor Chandler is best price for Misha B at 9/4 and has Amelia at 5/2 while Janet Devlin is 3/1 with a few bookies including William Hill. Like Janet, the two outsiders of the remaining five acts have yet to appear in a sing-off, Little Mix are 9/1 at Blue Square and Marcus Collins is 18/1 at Coral.

Craig, accepts he was victim of a poor song choice and believes Amelia and the remaining acts need to understand how important this will become over the final weeks of X Factor. Speaking to Lorraine on ITV1 this morning, Craig said: “It's all about song choice now, I hope the other contestants learn from this as well.

But he added: "I really liked the song and I've listened to it back and I actually quite liked the vocal. I think it was one of my best vocals as well - but it is down to song and people's connections with songs as well."

Craig also revealed he is backing Little Mix to win X Factor: “I think there are a few front runners. But I think out of everyone who has made the biggest journey and has improved the most, I think it’s got to be Little Mix. They’ve come out of nowhere. They were always favourite to go early on and they have literally come out of nowhere. And I'm a massive supporter of Janet and Marcus as well. Marcus is my little pop star."