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10 million expected to watch BB final
By Alexa Baracaia, Evening Standard Last updated at 11:32am on 18.08.06
Aisleyne is making a lastminute challenge for the Big Brother crown
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More than 10 million people are expected to tune into the final of Big Brother tonight. Eight million watched the housemates enter on 18 May and a spokeswoman for Channel 4 said of today's exit: "We're hoping it will be more."
Favourite to win the £100,000 prize is Pete Bennett, 24, a Tourette's sufferer from Brighton. William Hill is giving odds of 1-3. But London model Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace is making a lastminute challenge.
The 27-year-old, initially unpopular with her fellow housemates, has enjoyed a surge of support and is now 4-1 second favourite. Welsh teenager Glyn Wise is third favourite at 9-2.
Bennett's popularity is waning as he enjoys an over-the-top romance with Nikki Graham, who was evicted but voted back.
If the favourite loses, the real winner will be the bookmakers. They have taken millions in bets on him over the past three months.
William Hill spokesman Rupert Adams said: "We'll be rubbing our hands together in glee if Pete gets beaten and we'll be in love with Big Brother all over again next year.
"If you'd asked me last Friday who would win, I would have said Pete but I think Nikki being voted back in has really ruined Pete's chances.
"He's gained a lot of female fans who don't want to see those two slobbering all over each other, so they have gone off him and he's lost votes."
This year's Big Brother - the sixth - has been running for 13 weeks, longer than before. A total of 22 contestants have spent time in the house with five million tuning in each night.
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