Gambling on the X Factor

So for the last few weeks I've been having a bit of fun putting money on the X Factor. My motivation was realising that I correctly guessed last year's winner quite early on and could have made money off it if I'd been savvy. But then I was living in Japan and I probably would have been blocked from the gambling site.

So this year I thought I'd give it a go. A bit of a giggle. I stuck £20 onto the gambling site to play with, but instead of betting on a winner - which seemed uncertain early on - I bet £5 on John to be the first to go. My rationale was that he had failed to stand out and was the most forgettable of the 16 contestants. Alas, it was Nicolo who got the boot, someone I'd deemed safe by virtue of his cute foreign-ness. It was a double elimination, however, and I had a second chance to win when they put a time-sensitive betting opportunity on for who would lose the final showdown. I put another £5 hoping that Katie would go, but FYD let me down and I lost again.

In the second week I decided right away that Storm would go, and put a few pounds on him, and won. Then I put a few more pounds on Diva Fever going in the final showdown, and won again. However, I was more cautious with my betting this week and with the odds these artists had, I didn't quite make back my losses from the week before.

Week 3 was another week of losses, as I put money on Belle Amie - bottom three the week before - to go. But they didn't make the bottom two this week, and then I made some more minor losses betting on Treyc to go, considering that since she wasn't favourite to go, any amount I bet on her would give a much better return than a bet on John. However, I got back to how I was at the beginning of week 3 after betting on Belle Amie again in week 4, ending back around £16.

Last night, hoping that time was finally up for the Weasel, I bet on Katie to go. I was thwarted, however, by the abstention of Cheryl Cole, who wouldn't vote against either of her own acts. Usually on X Factor they go to the judge whose own acts are in play last. Cheryl stated she would take it to deadlock - so the results would be determined by the public vote - after Dannii and Louis had voted. However, the voice in presenter Dermot's ear told him that by refusing, Cheryl had lost her right to choose and the result would be determined by majority vote of the other judges. Simon had gone for Treyc to go, Dannii went for Katie, and Louis, the git, went for Treyc as well. £8 down the drain.

Next week I think I'll stick all my remaining money on the Weasel going, but there's the risk that Wagner ends up bottom two which would mean a death sentence for him from the judges. Just have to hope his cult following keeps up the good work.