Wednesday, 30 May 2007

• Prev
• Next

Big Brother bets set to hit £15m

Bookmakers predict record betting frenzy

Bookies across the country are predicting punters will wager record sums on Big Brother 8, which starts tonight.

Bets this year could tip £15m, compared to a just £1m on BB1.

Ladbrokes is offering 10/1 that disgraced Celebrity Big Brother contestant Jade Goody will put in an appearance at the new pad.

They're also offering a 50/1 wager that the controversial show will be taken off air before it actually finishes.

'Big Brother 1 was a step into the unknown,' Ladbrokes spokesman Nick Weinberg tells Metro. 'Contestants and punters really didn't know what to expect.

'In the early days we only offered win and eviction markets. But it's now possible to bet on a large number of specials even before anyone has set foot inside the famous house.'

Tonight's launch of Big Brother 8 will start with an on-air apology ordered by TV watchdogs over the Celebrity Big Brother race row.