Despite being the outright frontrunner with bookmakers to win this year's Strictly Come Dancing for weeks now, new evidence has emerged to suggest Ellie Leach may not be as safe a bet as the odds suggest.
The soap star has become quite the fan-favourite thanks to her markedly improved performances on the dance floor alongside Vito Coppola - although she controversially missed out on the first perfect 40 of the series to Layton Williams.
Heading into Saturday's semi-final, Leach and Coppola - as well as their fellow competitors - will have two dances to pull off in the hopes of bagging a spot in the grand finale.
Leach faces a Cha Cha and a Couple's Choice - which has resulted in some fans accusing her of having an "unfair advantage" due to the freedom of the latter routine.
Meanwhile, Williams faces a Charleston and Rumba, Bobby Brazier is tasked with a Paso Doble and Quickstep, while Annabel Croft will dance a Salsa and Viennese Waltz.
Following the release of the routine each celeb will face, analysis has suggested it's Williams's semi-final performance that could lead to him ultimately bagging the Glitterball Trophy.
Ellie and Vito wowed once again during Musicals Week
BBC
Williams is taking on the Charleston as one of his two dances and new research from William Hill Vegas suggests this bodes well for his chances of glory.
A staggering three out of the five previous Strictly winners have all performed the Charleston at the same stage of the competition as Williams is preparing to.
Hamza Yassin won last year's series, Bill Bailey bagged the 2020 title and Stacey Dooley won back in 2018 after all three took on the fast-paced routine in the semis.
William Hill spokesperson, Lee Phelps, delved into the research conducted as he said: "As the anticipation for Strictly Come Dancing's semi-finals builds, a unique revelation from William Hill Vegas might just add an exciting twist to this season's competition.
Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin bagged the first 40 of the series last weekend
BBC“Our research into the dance choices of recent semi-finals in the competition has unveiled that three out of the last five Strictly champions showcased their skills through a spirited Charleston routine during their semi-final performances, namely Hamza Yassin last year, Bill Bailey in series 18 and Stacey Dooley in series 16.
“With this interesting trend in mind, Layton Williams – who secured the first Perfect 40 of the series last week – seems to be in a favourable position ahead of this weekend’s semi-finals.
"Despite being a big 12/1 outsider to lift the Glitterball Trophy this year, the Charleston could yet prove to be Layton's winning ticket and provide one last twist to the series."
While it may be a good omen for Williams, he does still remain behind Leach when it comes to this year's Strictly Come Dancing odds.
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Layton Williams's Charleston spells good news for the star
WILLIAM HILL
Leach is head and shoulders above her fellow competitors in the market as she's currently priced at an odds-on 1/5 - something she addressed during a recent It Takes Two appearance.
Croft is her closest challenger with odds of 7/2, Williams is 12/1 and Brazier's chances of winning are miniscule at 20/1.
So while the records of previous years may be in Williams's favour, he'll have to pull off an almighty feat to pip Leach to this year's Strictly crown.
