Big Brother Betting: It's Back

Big Brother 11 / Chicken Dinner / 06 June 2008 / Leave a Comment

Sixteen unstable personalities. One winner. Already the groups are forming...Chicken Dinner look at this year's housemates...

Early Leaders

Michael [6.0] is the stand out contender at the start, helped by an all-important disability card. As with Pete Bennett (tourette's, winner series seven), phoning in to evict a blind man would be tantamount to shooting a puppy. Pete was an early favourite. Michael also has the advantage of being Scottish, which helped deliver a big chunk of votes for this year's surprise X Factor winner Leon.

Mohamed [18.0] is a cheerful toy demonstrator with a disturbing back story - he fled Somalia to escape civil war. He has the wide-eyed eagerness of last year's winner Brian Belo about him, which voters will find a terrific turn on.

Darnell [13.5], albino and black, is another waving the underdog card, although whooping his way into the house brandishing an outsized American football was just odd.

Kathreya [8.4], insane Thai woman, will scoop the gay vote. Definitely worth a long look - her manic entrance brought back disturbing visions of a buxom young gentleman called Nadia (winner, series five). Only one genetic girl has ever won Big Brother.

Ones to watch

The surprise packages this year look set to be Luke [11.5], the suit wearing youngster from Wigan who isn't sure if he's gay or not, which promises a vote-capturing "journey". A blend of Jon Tickle (series four) and Glynn (series seven), he looks the most likely cult figure, as Brian was last year.

Sylvia [42.0], the "trendy" Catholic from Sierra Leone is fantastic looking and a flirt - two traits which guarantee safe passage through the first couple of weeks - and if Rachel [12.5] can stop her inane blabbering, she will dominate the Welsh vote. Posh boy Rex [16.5] is this year's pouting Ziggy.

Work to do

Lots of the housemates have been left with a mountain to climb following hideous launch night videos. A classic mistake, one which scuppered Chanelle's early progress last year - booed for wanting to be Posh - and destroyed Saskia in series six, who spent two minutes deriding the existence of ethnic minorities in Britain. Falling into the Saskia bracket was single mum Jennifer [34.0], who has already sealed her fate with her aggressive political rants. Much more of that and she'll even be a good bet for first eviction.

More like Chanelle was Stephanie [19.0], who once tried to get into Girls Aloud. As a pretty young should-be-WAG, she's going to find it tough to win over the core young female demographic.

Dale [15.5] can't even be bothered to talk to ugly people. He needs to get with the nice, fast. In this most shallow of worlds however, if he can get his attitude under control, he has the looks to do well.

Won't win

Of those whose chances already look slender, Mario [30.0] to win and Lisa [48.0] - the naff couple who look intent on rutting - are far too old. They are both in their forties, yet no one over 32 has ever won, and the average age of winners is far younger. Older contestants tend to become dull, irritable and hard to like very quickly (Carole and Jonathan, last year; Roberto, series six).

Also looking unlikely are Dennis [29.0], the hysterical dancer, and Rebecca [42.0], a bottom flashing nanny who communicates in screams. Before housemates get to know each other thoroughly, early nominations for evictions often go to the biggest attention seekers, such as Shabnam and Seany last year.

Alexandra [65.0] thought it wise to tell the world how special she is, a trick that served obnoxious Charley Uchea fairly well last year, but Charley wasn't a single mum who had taken to Islam - Middle England's most feared religion. She can expect to be back in her own house fairly soon.

Anyone else [no market]

Although latecomer Brain won last year, every other Big Brother series has been won by someone there from the start. The size of the field also implies fewer late entrants.