A SURPRISE frontrunner has emerged among the current crop of Strictly celebrities to take the crown this year.
Fan favourites Tasha Ghouri, Jamie Borthwick and Chris McCausland have all long been tipped to take the famous Glitterball trophy this year but according to the latest odds at the bookies, they could have some serious competition from an unlikely star.
Miranda actress Sarah Hadland has overtaken both Tasha and Jamie in the betting odds giving her more favourable chances of winning this year.
According to bookmakers BetMGM, Sarah is now only held off the top spot by Chris but has seen her odds continue to improve following a slew of top performances.
Her odds have drastically shortened from 11/2 to 5/2 after she placed third on the latest leaderboard.
Sam Behar, a director at BetMGM, said: “There has been a big market move on Sarah Hadland to be crowned the next Strictly Come Dancing champion.
“Her odds of winning the Glitterball trophy have moved from 11/2 to 5/2 in the last few days.
“She’s still behind the 1/2 favourite Chris McCausland but has become a serious contender ahead of Tasha Ghouri at 8/1 and Jamie Borthwick at 20/1.”
At the other end is Shayne Ward with him coming in as the rank outsider with just a 100/1 chance of picking up the trophy.
Sarah’s performance over the weekend was likely boosted after a supportive visit from her TV best pal, Miranda Hart.
The actress made an appearance in the rehearsal VT showing the efforts of Sarah and her professional dancer partner, Vito Coppola.
In the clip, Miranda was seen sneaking into the couple’s rehearsals for their latest routine for Icons Week on Strictly Come Dancing.
The pair, who have repeatedly received high scores each week, were practising their Cha-Cha-Cha to Madonna‘s ‘Like a Prayer’.
Jokingly ‘choreographing’ her best friend, an emotional Miranda then showered Sarah with praise as she told her: “It’s an amazing experience, I feel lucky, like I have won a prize.”
This week, Sarah is expected to dance to Heather Small hit Proud – a track she is familiar with after it was used in a famous skit in comedy series Miranda.
The current Strictly Come Dancing odds
Chris McCausland
1/2
Sarah Hadland
5/2
Tasha Ghouri
8/1
Jamie Borthwick
20/1
JB Gill
28/1
Pete Wicks
33/1
Montell Douglas
50/1
Wynne Evans
66/1
Shayne Ward
100/1
