Strictly Come Dancing: 2024 series teased in BBC trailer
Bookies think they know where each celebrity contestant is going to place in this year's Strictly Come Dancing line up. The BBC dance show kicked off its 20th year last night (September 14) with its glitzy launch show.
The celebrities hitting the dancefloor this year include comedian Chris McCausland, EastEnders star Jamie Borthwick, JLS singer JB Gill, Gladiators star Montell Douglas, DIY SOS presenter Nick Knowles, Love Island's Tasha Ghouri, Olympian Tom Dean MBE, pop singer Toyah Willcox, Arsenal legend Paul Merson and reality television star Pete Wicks.
Other celebrities include commentator and doctor Punam Krishan, Olympian and sports host Sam Quek MBE, actress Sarah Hadland, singer Shayne Ward and BBC Wales presenter Wynne Evans.
But just one show into the new series, before any teams have even shown off their fancy footwork properly, Betfred the bookmakers have predicted where everyone will place.
Betfred looked into the occupations of past winners and found that actors and TV personalities have been the most successful on the BBC dance show, with seven winners in each occupation.
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Following behind are artists and sportspeople with three previous winners apiece, and comedians with just one previous winner.
Using this data, Betfred has analysed this year’s cast and ranked them from most to least likely to win based on their occupation and current odds. Based on both factors, data suggests that Tasha Ghouri has the most in her favour to win this year's series, and Chris McCausland is least likely to win based on both factors.
Kayley Cornelius, from Betfred, said: “As we kick off this year’s Strictly Come Dancing, our research points to Tasha Ghouri as having the strongest chance of taking home the glitterball trophy, while things aren't looking as promising for Chris McCausland.
“Our data reveals that TV personalities and actors, especially those from soaps, have historically had the most success on the show. In contrast, only one comedian, Bill Bailey, has ever managed to win Strictly, which doesn’t bode well for McCausland’s chances.
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“Interestingly, our findings are in line with the current odds. Tasha is priced at 9/2 to win, and despite some fluctuations, she remains one of the top favourites in the betting markets. Similarly, Jamie Borthwick is trailing behind Tasha, and his EastEnders roots could work to his advantage, potentially following in the footsteps of last year’s winner, Ellie Leach.
"On the flip side, Paul Merson’s chances don’t seem to be improving. His occupation, combined with his current odds, ranks him 14th on our list. With 50/1 odds, he has just a slim 2% probability of winning.”
