Betting.Betfair

I'm in a state of confusion. Not only am I baffled as to why Frankie Cocozza is still in the competition and bewildered that Sophie Habibis isn't, I'm also extremely undecided as to how to play the two best singers still in with a shout of winning. Last week saw Rhythmix change their name, a member of The Risk quit, and Kelly Rowland temporarily replaced by Alexandra Burke on the judging panel, the only important news is that for the first time since this year's X Factor commenced I find myself admitting that absolutely anyone can win this, except Cocozza of course. Earlier this week the leading three in the Winner market prior to Saturday night's live show - Janet Devlin (3.7), The Risk (5.5), and Misha Bryan (8.4) - all drifted in the betting, whilst the other acts (excluding Cocozza)...

Sophie Habibis, backed at a low of just 6.0 to win the competition, became the seventh act to leave this year's X Factor competition. Habibis was available to back at 10.0 in the Seventh Elimination market at the start of the week but a poor rendition of Bang Bang on Saturday night saw the London barmaid shorten to a low of just 2.1 prior to the results show commencing. Only Frankie Cocozza was shorter, the teenage rebel being matched at 2.0. And in a huge surprise, it was Misha Bryan who joined Habibis in the bottom two this week. Bryan was available to back at a massive 200.0 to be eliminated after another solid performance on Saturday night, though she was much shorter in the Bottom Two market, being matched at a high of 28.0. All four judges, including the ill Kelly Rowland speaking...

Like school kids who'd just had their skipping rope and marbles taken from them. That's how one newspaper described X Factor judges Gary Barlow, Louis Walsh, Kelly Rowland, and Tulisa Contostavlos, and it's hard to disagree. Saturday night's Rock theme descended into chaos the second girlband Rhythmix performed a medley of pop songs - wearing cut-off jeans and a bit of pink in their hair (to make it look rocky). From that moment on the judges were at each other's throats, accusing each other of ducking the theme. But regular readers of this column, will remember that I told you last week that X Factor themes now mean absolutely nothing. If it's rock week, then all you have to do is don a pair of black fingerless gloves and away you go, you can sing any song you like. And it will be...