Mixed Night for UK Bookies

13th December, 2009

Some of the best uk bookies had a mixed night tonight, as the results for the two big public votes were decided live on national TV.

Both the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year and ITV's X Factor finals were live and whilst the bookies survived a pounding in one of the shows, they were taken to the cleaners in the other.

First up on the Beeb was Sports Personality of the Year, where the F1 World Champion Jenson Button was the odds-on favourite to take the coveted prize. Yet it was the 36-year-old footballing legend Ryan Giggs who walked away with the famous trophy - and left the bookies breathing a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, over on ITV it was Joe v Olly for the title of the X Factor and, as the phone line were closed, it was Joe who was the 1.22 favourite on Betfair. True to the market, it was the South Shield's Joe McElderry who scooped the title and with it an almost guaranteed Xmas No. 1 with his cover of Miley Cyrus' 'The Climb'.

Betting on TV progammes are at an all time high with UK bookies and many of their PR people will offer special odds on the shows for the Media - and rarely do they get it wrong. Indeed, yesterday David Williams from Ladbrokes commented on the X Factor being a shoe-in for the North-East youngster...

'Only a huge shock would save us from the inevitable payout on Joe. He looks nailed on to win the show.'

Joe follows Alexandra Burke as winner of the X Factor, whilst Ryan Giggs takes over the mantle from boxing legend, Joe Calzaghe.