Bookies suspicious of BB leak

Bookmaker William Hill has stopped taking bets on Celebrity Big Brother amid claims "sensitive information" about the Channel Four voyeur show was lea

02:16 23 January 2005

Bookmaker William Hill has stopped taking bets on Celebrity Big Brother amid claims "sensitive information" about the Channel Four voyeur show was leaked.

Hills said it discerned irregularities in betting for the last two evictions, with punters placing large sums despite odds as short as 1/14.

Rupert Adams, a spokesman for Hill, said the "final nail in the coffin" came on Friday evening when four or five unknown punters called wishing to place bets on a shock double eviction - an unprecedented event - shortly before model Caprice and actor Jeremy Edwards were sent packing.

The bets were not taken.

Another man was prepared to bet seven grand in cash to put on Kenzie to win at odds of 4/7.

Most punters bet just 10 or 20 quid on Big Brother, Mr Adams said.

"There has never been a surprise double eviction before and this is highly unlikely to have been an inspired guess," Mr Adams said.

"We think somebody somewhere has got them and has been trying very hard to take us to the cleaners.

"All our odds compilers say it defies all of the basic patterns they expect to see."

Channel 4 show dismissed claims of a leak, saying the story plot was strictly confidential and only known to a select band of senior production staff.

Former Happy Mondays dancer Bez, actress Brigitte Nielsen and rapper Kenzie will find out this evening who will win the 50 grand charity prize money.

Kenzie is favourite at 2/9.