X Factor Odds 2011

X Factor betting for season 8 is bigger than ever before and here at easyodds.com we've got every market covered. The live finals are shown on ITV1 every Saturday and Sunday so X Factor odds are already available, though the early favourite rarely goes on to win. Recent examples include Cher Lloyd (season 7) and Danyl Johnson (season 6), both of whom produced superb initial performances only to fade during the live shows. This demonstrates that it is always hard to predict who will win the X Factor. It normally pays to look for an act that sees a late surge in popularity - for example, Leon Jackson's X Factor odds were on the long side throughout season 4 but the Scot ended up beating hot favourite Rhydian Roberts to the title.

X Factor Favourite

As we have already noted, the early favourite to win the X Factor doesn’t normally go on to win the competition. However, the poor record of X Factor favourites was broken by Matt Cardle last season, whose odds were the shortest from start to finish and never experienced a dip in popularity. On the whole, though, the early stand-out performers struggle to maintain their level through to the final.

X Factor Judges

There has been a huge shake-up in the panel of X Factor judges for this year. Louis Walsh is the only mentor to return, and he's lining up with Gary Barlow, Tulisa Contostavlos and Kelly Rowland. Simon Cowell is still involved in the production of the show, though he is switching his focus to the US X Factor. Walsh, therefore, is now the only original judge remaining, though the Irishman has a poor record of producing X Factor winners with Shayne Ward (season 2) being his only success to date.

X Factor Controversy

The X Factor betting markets are constantly being updated on the back of tabloid revelations. And there have been numerous examples of these over the years. Allegations of an X Factor fix surfaced in season 7 when Cheryl Cole refused to vote for either Katie Waissel or Treyc Cohen in the bottom two, fuelling speculation that the judges were trying to save the more controversial Waissel from elimination. There was also the X Factor gay furore of season 6 when Dannii Minogue made comments about Danyl Johnson's sexuality live on air. And who could forget the X Factor fight from season 1 which generated a record number of complaints when Sharon Osbourne launched a scathing attack on eventual winner Steve Brookstein in the final show. It seems we can't go more than a few weeks without an X Factor scandal and the tabloids are sure to be on the lookout for any potential controversy this year.

X Factor Winners

While the winners of the show don't always enjoy long-lasting success in the music industry, they are normally guaranteed a big hit when their first single is released. The X Factor winners list is hardly distinguished but does include the likes of Leona Lewis and Alexandra Burke, who have both gone on to enjoy worldwide solo success. Others, however, haven't been as successful, with the first X Factor winner Steve Brookstein, as well as Leon Jackson, among those yet to make the big time. However, the show still generates more reality TV betting turnover than any of it's rivals.