If watching a bunch of people you’ve never met tuck into a succulent meal of kangaroo anus is your kind of thing, then you probably don’t need much persuading to tune into the new series of I’m a Celebrity: Get Me Out of Here which kicks off on Sunday.
If you have half a brain and will be doing anything else, then it might be worth informing punters of a right mind that this show does offer some excellent betting value. And the good news is that you won’t have to sit through hours on end of the tripe to enjoy the rewards!
The reason for such confidence is that a clear and well-defined pattern has emerged of an outright winner’s profile. Here are the last five winners:
- 2015 – Vicky Pattison (beat George Shelley and Ferne McCann)
- 2014 – Carl Fogarty (Jake Quickenden and Mel Sykes)
- 2013 – Kian Egan (beat David Emanuel)
- 2012 – Charlie Brooks (beat Ashley Roberts)
- 2011 – Dougie Poynter (beat Mark Wright)
So what can we conclude from that? Certainly, if we take Carl Fogarty as an anomaly, a standout pattern emerges. Dougie Poynter and Kian Egan were both in boybands (McFly and Westlife respectively), Charlie Brooks is best known as Janine from EastEnders while Vicky Pattison is a ‘reality TV personality’; a very modern thing indeed.
The key is that they all had pre-existing fan bases before entering the jungle – crucial for voting power, are/were under the age of 35 and could be classed as good sports in the Bushtucker Trials; never shirking a challenge.
Being away from home without the perks of celebrity life can often get to the junglist massive, and naturally confrontation follows. The most recent winners are those that have kept a cool, reasoned head while all around them were losing theirs.
I’m A Celebrity 2016 Betting Tips
Using the above profile, who is shaping up to be the best value for punters in this year’s renewal?
Scarlett Moffatt (2/1 with bet365)
The shortest ever pre-show favourite, the Gogglebox star ticks all of the boxes for a potential winner.
Coming from the world of ‘entertainment’, some four million viewers tune into Gogglebox and so Moffatt has the advantage of a pre-existing fanbase that enjoys watching dull-as-dishwater television. This is also the kind of demographic that would actually bother to pick up their phones and vote.
Moffatt seems like an affable enough character, and as a proud Northerner – and we really are trying to avoid stereotyping here – she will surely be up to whatever challenges face her with a typically down-to-earth attitude. The last two winners of I’m a Celeb have been from ‘oop Narth’ (Pattison is a Geordie, Fogarty a Lancastrian) so that bodes well too.
Presuming she doesn’t have a meltdown or leave the show because she can’t cope with the conditions, this Geordie lass is a worthy favourite even at this price.
Adam Thomas (12/1 each way with Coral)
Another who scores highly on our checklist of potential winners is Emmerdale hunk Adam Thomas, who will be looking to emulate the fortunes of fellow ‘eye candy’ jungle hopefuls George Shelley and Jake Quickenden in reaching the final.
With a huge fan base from the popular ITV show behind him, Thomas should reach the business end of the contest without really standing out – a la Charlie Brooks – and if he keeps a cool head, tries his best in the Trials and isn’t a complete tool (we just don’t know with famous people) then his 12/1 price will look excellent value.
Thomas is a Mancunian so also satisfies the Northern angle, and if he keeps his head down then an each way return at least should be there for the taking.