Tappenden Price Set To Tumble
We make no apologies for the delay in putting up a second Celebrity Big Brother post. This is largely due to the fact this year’s crop of housemates has to be the most motley crew ever assembled in the history of the Celebrity version of the show and we’ve been struggling to get excited about any of them.
It’s a double elimination on Friday with two out of Lady Sovereign, Heidi Fleiss and Katia Ivanova getting the boot. This looks a dead betting heat with Katia long odds on to be out first, closely followed by Heidi, though Sov is trying her best to get in the argument with her consistently brattish behaviour.
On the Outright Vinnie Jones has been backed down to a best-priced 11-8 but he looks a shaky favourite. A combustible character who has threatened to walk more than once already, he is quite one-dimensional as a self-styled hardman, and while he’s capable of the occasional witty quip, we’re uneasy about how much support he’ll get when it becomes a vote to win. That said, we wouldn’t recommend laying him in such a weak field, and suggest keeping him a small green.
Having been backed into second favourite, our initial fancy Lady Sovereign has drifted back out to 12s having shown herself to be feisty and mopey in equal measure, and somewhat petulant to boot. She remains a colourful character among this dire lot and might yet have a say in the Outright, but we don’t hold out as much hope as we did and are increasingly encouraged to look further down the list as none of the front runners in the market look particularly solid.
Stephanie Beacham comes across as a bit too posh and condescending, Basshunter lacks any sort of substance (ditto Sisqo) and Baldwin’s a complete looney tune, which leaves us, whisper it, considering the merits of lumping on at least one of Alex Reid at 14s, Nicola Tappenden at 20s, Dane Bowers at 25s, Ivana Trump at 50s or even Heidi Fleiss at 66s, given she now has a sporting chance of escaping elimination on Friday night. 
Of these five, Reid and Bowers are tarnished through association with Katie Price, and Trump through her excessive wealth, which leaves Fleiss and Nicola T. Fleiss is seriously messed up but entertainingly sharp-tongued in the Pete Burns mould, and something of an underdog in this house, so is worth a few quid at her current price of around 70-1 on Betfair,
Nicola T is of even more interest. She has a positive profile compared to most and has been consistently warm, courteous and helpful. She may not be the brightest contestant but that didn’t stop Bez or Chantelle from winning, and she appears to us to be on the verge of becoming a serious contender.
A series-winning move would be for her to put that oily, sanctimonious Baldwin in his place, and his uncalled for unpleasantness towards her – and irrational singling her out as his enemy – is certainly aiding Nicola’s cause no end. Take the 20s on the Outright now, 16s e/w with Ladbrokes, and mop up the 5-1 for her to be Top Female.
Rob Furber