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Bookies announce Kelvin Fletcher is favourite to win Strictly Come Dancing this year

He's a favourite among viewers

Kelvin Fletcher is the favourite to win this year’s Strictly Come Dancing, according to bookies.

The former Emmerdale actor has won over viewers over the past two weeks and topped the leaderboard in week one thanks to his sizzling Samba performance.

Now, bookies have given Kelvin and his professional dance partner Oti Mabuse odds of 6/4 to bag the Glitterball trophy.

Bookies have given Kelvin and Oti odds of 6/4 to bag the Glitterball trophy (Credit: BBC)

Read more: Strictly Come Dancing: Kelvin Fletcher wants people to think he’s in love with Oti Mabuse

The pair topped the leaderboard in week one after gaining 32 points out of 40 from the judges, who each gave the pair an eight out of 10.

During the second week, Kelvin and Oti found themselves in third place on the leaderboard after bagging 28 points for their romantic Waltz to What the World Needs Now by Burt Bacharach.

CBBC presenter Karim Zeroual and his dance partner Amy Dowden are second favourites to win the series, with odds of 4/1.

Karim and Amy came joint first on the leaderboard this week alongside Michelle Visage and her partner Giovanni Pernice.

Kelvin replaced Made In Chelsea star Jamie Laing on the BBC show after he injured himself.

Kelvin Fletcher
Kelvin topped the leaderboard in week one (Credit: BBC)

The actor recently revealed he wants people to think that he’s in love with his dance buddy, Oti, because he wants people to believe the performance.

He told The Sun Online: “Why else do we watch Strictly? You’ve got these people and they have to look so majestic and beautiful and endearing, and the story looks like: ‘Oh there’s something going on there.’

“If you’ve not bought into it, then there’s something missing.

“So I absolutely expect, and I hope, that people watch me and Oti and see whatever narrative it is – whether that be that we’re in love – I want people to believe it.”

And he added that his wife of four years, Liz Marsland, would share his view.

Kelvin Fletcher
Kelvin revealed he wants people to think that he’s in love with his dance buddy, Oti (Credit: BBC)

Read more: Katya Jones questions Kelvin Fletcher’s future on Strictly Come Dancing

He said if there’s “not that feeling there, my wife will be the first person to pull me up on it, because she absolutely wants to believe it too”.

Meanwhile, during Sunday night’s results show, Kelvin revealed he and Oti will be dancing to a track from Mary Poppins this weekend.

He said: “I’ve got a three-year-old daughter [Marnie] and the first time I took her to the cinema which was just six months ago, it was to see Mary Poppins Returns, and that soundtrack is on the house constantly, so it’s very special to me.”

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Rebecca Carter
Associate Editor (News)