Britain's Got Talent Betting: Decent performances this week but Boylemania remains strong

I see that the Betfair Contrarian thinks that Susan Boyle will win this year's Britain's Got Talent. I agree, but I also agree with one of my colleagues that the initial [1.65] available about her to succeed was too short at the time, especially as we were still unaware as to what other talent was out there.

But a few weeks on, and with just two more audition shows to be screened, Boyle's chances of winning are looking stronger and stronger.

That's because some of the acts that have been seen in recent weeks are good at best, and nothing has rivaled the immediate impression and subsequent euphoria that Boyle's audition created. Two of her Youtube clips have totaled more than 75 million hits, yet she can now be backed at [2.38] in the Susan Boyle To Win market. Get on.

Welsh singer Jamie Pugh, a warehouse worker and pizza delivery man, was crippled with nerves prior to his audition but looked a West End star in the making when he performed Bring Him Home from Les Miserables.

The audience gave him a fantastic reception, hinting that he could be a strong contender once the live shows begin, but subsequent newspaper stories suggesting that Pugh has performed live before are now seeing him being perceived as a liar and his popularity is waning. Plus, he once delivered me a margherita pizza instead of a pepperoni one and short changed me by 15p - unforgivable!

It's not often that Simon Cowell admits to being puzzled, but that was his response after Greg Pritchard performed Nessum Dorma in a high soprano singing voice. The problem is, that his performance would have been better suited to a female in a frock, not a man dressed like a rocker. But still, his act was unique and very appealing. Pritchard was instantly likeable and he has a charm that should see him get to the final at least.

Many of this year's standout acts have been singers or dancers, but in the case of Merlin we saw an escapologist who admitted that if things went wrong, the worst thing that could happen is that he could die. So after that bold statement, 35-year-old Merlin had to produce something death-defyingly dangerous. I'm not sure that escaping from a chain, and juggling fire whilst wearing a helmet full of water classes as death-defying, but the promise of more 'Houdini' type stunts to follow make Merlin watchable. Not that I'd want one of his stunts to go wrong or anything.

Friendship and loyalty were tested to the full when violinist Sue Son had to decide whether to ditch her friend (who was rubbish) and return as a solo artist at another audition. As can be expected in this day and age, her friend was dropped in the blink of an eye and Sue returned to perform exceptionally well. She isn't the type of act that will win Britain's Got Talent, but she will be of definite interest in her semi-final.

Shaun Smith also impressed, but he's another singer in the mould of a failed X Factor contestant, and won't be able to command the amount of public votes to beat the irrepressible Susan Boyle.