Strictly Come Dancing’s ultimate comeback queen might just be Balvinder Sopal, as the EastEnders favourite has suddenly become 25/1 to win the whole series after dodging what many thought was a guaranteed exit.
Despite landing in the bottom two an eye-watering five times, Balvinder managed to avoid the dance-off in last night’s results show – a twist even the bookies didn’t see coming. Her survival has now sparked talk of her being the unexpected “dark horse” of the competition, with a growing wave of viewers rallying behind her late-series surge.
Meanwhile, over in frontrunner territory, Karen Carney’s once rock-solid winning odds have started to drift…
Latest Strictly odds see Karen remain favourite to win
According to SportsCasting, although she’s still the outside to win, Balvinder’s odds of lifting the Glitterball Trophy have massively shortened. However, there’s been no change when it comes to the favourite to win the 2025 show.
But SportsCasting spokesperson Shane Orton did tell us that Karen Carney’s been handed a bit of a blow.
He said: “Going into semi-finals week, there is no change at the top of the outright market, with Karen and Carlos Gu (5/6) maintaining their favouritism. Although the gap has narrowed to a resurgent George Clarke and Alexis Warr (5/4), who delivered a wonderful Argentine Tango.
“Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin (16/1) produced what was arguably one of the best performances in Strictly history on Saturday’s Musicals Night, yet still ended up in the dance-off. Amber’s well-documented struggles to connect with the voting public continue to hold her back at this stage.
“Balvinder and Julian Caillon (25/1) are now emerging as intriguing dark horses. Balvinder’s journey to this point has been emotional and inspirational. She has survived five dance-offs and may finally be connecting with viewers after avoiding the bottom two thanks to a simply stunning Viennese Waltz.”
‘Nobody is safe’ as Balvinder Sopal may miss out on Strictly final
Shane still isn’t convinced Balvinder will pull off the ultimate Strictly miracle. In fact, the bookies have her at 2/5 on to bow out in this weekend’s semi-final, marking her as the most likely celebrity to miss out on a place in the grand finale.
“I think we’re all still in shock at Lewis and Katya’s departure, and it goes to show that nobody is safe at this stage,” added Shane.
“Balvinder and Julian (2/5) are, unsurprisingly, short-priced favourites to leave at the final hurdle before the grand final. But would anyone really dare bet against them at this point?
“Amber and Nikita (5/1) look almost certain to end up in the dance-off, but can you see anyone beating them in a one-off performance? It would be a surprise.
“George and Alexis (13/2), along with Karen and Carlos (8/1), remain outsiders to leave the competition, but at this stage one wrong move could spell curtains for anyone.”
That said, after Sunday night’s shock escape on December 7, fans know better than to rule anything out. If this series has proved one thing, it’s that Strictly can still throw in a curveball when you least expect it.
Read more: Strictly backlash over raunchy pro dance: ‘Enough to make me stop paying my licence fee’
Watch the Strictly semi-final on Saturday (December 13) at 6.35pm on BBC One
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