Awards punters say Firth a dead cert for Best Actor

Colin Firth is the subject of huge support for Best Actor at both the Oscars and the BAFTA awards with Ladbrokes.

Despite being prohibitively short odds-on punters are piling in and striking several four and five figure bets as they believe the King’s Speech star is the biggest certainty in the history of awards betting.

Even at 1/25 several bets were registered where punters are due to win just £4 for every £100 staked prompting the bookies to cut him to 1/50.

This leaves main gong rival The Social Network’s chances of best actor success relying on Jesse Eisenberg (20/1 BAFTA & 9/1 Oscars)

The King’s Speech is also 100/1 to complete a clean sweep and win all 14 BAFTA awards it has been nominated for.

Alex Donohue of Ladbrokes said: “Firth’s fans are seeing this as an opportunity to buy money. In some cases they are risking a thousand pounds to win a pair of cinema tickets but it doesn’t seem to have put them off as he looks a nailed on certainty.”

Ladbrokes latest betting

The BAFTA Film Awards
Best Film
The King’s Speech – 4/7
The Social Network – 6/4
Inception – 50/1
True Grit – 33/1
Black Swan – 33/1

Leading Actor
Colin Firth – 1/50
James Franco – 20/1
Jesse Eisenberg – 20/1
Jeff Bridges – 33/1
Javier Bardem – 33/1

The King’s Speech to win all 14 BAFTAS – 100/1

The Oscars
Best Actor
Colin Firth – The King’s Speech – 1/9
James Franco – 127 Hours – 9/1
Jesse Eisenberg – The Social Network – 9/1
Robert Duval – Get Low – 20/1