Big Brother 'betting scam'

Leading bookmaker Coral has stopped taking bets on today's Big Brother eviction after a spate of heavy betting on one contestant prompted fears of a sting.

The flurry of wagers on Alison Hammond being the next to be ousted first saw odds tumble from 8-1 on Tuesday to just 2-1 yesterday.

Then the betting firm's executives, worried that an organised group may have been tipped off that telephone voting was beginning to turn against the 27-year-old travel rep from Birmingham, decided it was time to close the book entirely.

A Coral spokesman said: "We have no evidence, but there has been a sudden and alarming shift in bets on Alison."

A Big Brother spokeswoman denied there had been any leaks. She said: "Our phone voting is very strictly monitored and independently audited by the Electoral Reform Society."

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