Ed Balls, the former Labour MP, continues to surprise viewers and bookmakers alike on Strictly Come Dancing, with his odds of winning tumbling from 150-1 to 50-1. Bookmakers fear a massive payout if the political heavyweight, who lost his seat in last year's general election, lifts the glitter ball, comparing it to Leicester City's Premier League win.
On Saturday's Halloween special, watched by 10.6 million viewers, Balls dressed as a mad professor and performed a cha-cha-cha with partner Katya Jones, scoring 28 out of 40. Judge Bruno Tonioli gave him eight, while Craig Revel Horwood doubled his usual mark of two, joking: "I've never seen anything so bizarre in my life."
David Stevens of bookmaker Coral said: "Ed Balls started the series as the 150-1 rank outsider and the hot favourite to be the first person voted off so it's fair to say he's already surprised us with his dance floor moves. What's just as surprising is how popular this ex-politician is with the voting public, who seem determined to keep him in." Stevens added that his odds tumbling to 50-1 echoed Leicester City's improbable title run.
Meanwhile, US pop star Anastacia, 48, became the latest celebrity eliminated after a dance-off against model Daisy Lowe. Anastacia, who had a double mastectomy in 2013, broke down in tears earlier this month after ripping scar tissue while salsa dancing. She said: "I didn't expect to be in this long since I'm not a dancer ... I really did want to stay for my charity reason, for my own personal feminine reason of getting to know my own body again."
