Rough Copy look like they have the X-Factor

The nights are getting darker which means that the Saturday night TV schedules are filled with the two big shows of the Winter, the X Factor on ITV and Strictly Come Dancing on the BBC. Here is our guide to the best of the bets from these shows.

After the first week of live performances I think you can draw a line through Luke Friend, Sam Callahan, Miss Dynamix and Shelley Smith which leaves you with seven acts who could possibly win X Factor, Tamera Foster, Rough Copy, Nicholas McDonald, Sam Bailey, Kingsland Road, Hannah Barrett and Abi Alton.

Tamera Foster is the 15/4 (SPREADEX) favourite for the X Factor. Foster is a strong performer though tabloid stories have not been kind to her in recent weeks with numerous attacks on her personal life. These kind of allegations can damage an act like it did to Misha B in an earlier series of the show.

Another reason to take on Foster is that she is the early favourite and quite often the general public prefers a singer with a bit of a journey. I also worry that she might be a little bit of a one trick pony for a show that goes on for a number of weeks. To me the two standout performers from Week 1 were Sam Bailey and Rough Copy. Bailey I feel though was suited to the format of the week which played to her strengths. Rough Copy were a little out of their comfort zone with the eighties and still produced a good performance. If you look at the online format and polls of reality websites the group are never out of the top three in the favourites section and with boy band supremo Gary Barlow behind them I recommend an interest on them at 9/2 (betfred/BWIN/YOU WIN).

Over on Strictly Come Dancing and Natalie Gumede is the favourite at 13/8 (betfred/YOU WIN) and she is one of five (Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Ashley Taylor-Dawson, Susanna Reid and Abbey Clancy are the others) who could win this. Of the five I think Clancy is probably the weakest. She looks excellent in ballroom but the Latin seems to be a real struggle for her with her long limbs

I would be willing to take on Gumede after stories in the tabloids this weekend emerged that she is a trained dancer who has been dancing since the age of four and lists it on her acting CV as a potential skill. The general public will feel they have been cheated. I really like Susanna Reid as a personality and as a dancer she is excellent I just worry about her partnership which the professional dubbed ’Kevin from Grimsby.’ As lovely as he is the age gap between the two just means they do not have the look of a partnership.

This leaves Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Ashley Taylor-Dawson and I think these are the two you want to be siding with. Ellis-Bextor has looked excellent in hold and was solid enough in the always tricky Latin. Her personality is opening up and she is alongside the popular professional in Brendan Cole. I suggest getting with her at 11/4 (ladbrokes).

Taylor-Dawson should also be backed as he too has a popular pro in Ola Jordan, is a likeable good looking guy and most importantly seems to be developing as a dancer. It is always tricky for the Male dancers in the Latin but he looked decent at the weekend and he should excel in the hold. Odds of 5/1 (betfred/ladbrokes/YOU WIN) look generous.

BEST OF THE BETS

GOLD: Rough Copy to win the X Factor, 9/2 (betfred/BWIN/YOU WIN)
SILVER: Sophie Ellis-Bextor to win Strictly, 11/4 (ladbrokes)
BRONZE: Ashley Taylor-Dawson to win Strictly, 5/1 (betfred/LADBROKS/YOU WIN)

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17/10/2013     © Frixo 2026