JLS star JB Gill is the clear favourite to clinch the Strictly crown this year as the couples prepare for their first dance tonight. However, it's not looking rosy for Gloucestershire's Nick Knowles as the DIY SOS host saw his winning odds plummet. Knowles, 61, seen as an underdog, hasn't witnessed any improvement in his Strictly odds despite being teamed up with Luba Mushtak.
He was already at the bottom before the launch show and his odds have now further dipped to 100/1. However, he now shares the 100/1 odds with ex-footballer and pundit Paul Merson and his partner Karen Hauer, both having only a slim chance of bagging the series win. Former boy band member JB was already the bookie's pick to win the coveted Glitterball this year even before the celebrities were paired with their professional partners.
But after he was teamed up with returning Amy Dowden - who was honoured with an MBE this year for her services to fundraising and raising awareness of Crohn's disease - JB's victory odds were shortened even more. Amy, who took a break from last year's series while she was undergoing treatment for breast cancer, was greeted back with thunderous applause during the opening show. At the end of one opening routine, she was at the heart of a massive group hug with the other Strictly professionals who were clearly thrilled by her return, reports Gloucestershire Live .
Amy and her celebrity partner JB - who finished third on ITV's short-lived Strictly rival Dance Dance Dance - are .