1pm: Against All Odds

It's the last day. The Last Day. The! Last! Day!

And as I type this on my laptop from my quiet spot underneath Carole's bed, my head is awash with questions... questions the housemates must be asking too. Who will win? And will they wear matching outfits when they do? What will happen next? Did I turn the oven off before I came out? Would you like me to be the cat?

Most of all I'm wondering whether Jonty can pull out the stops and bring home the bacon for me tonight. He's a bit of an oddball, granted, and he's got a very wide parting, to be sure, but I've got ten bob riding on that gleaming head, and right now I don't give a damn what he has to do, so long as he does it. No, don't say it, I know what you're thinking... if I have one vice, it's that I care too much. Carole would sympathise. And to be honest according to today's stats she'd be good for a few bob too. So come on oldies! Slow and steady wins the race!

3pm: Spending Your Winnings

Some ideas to inspire you, if you place a bet now, and your team comes through for you tomorrow night.

1. Despite their existential dilemma (haven't all of us wondered, at some time or other, "What is the Universe?"), or perhaps because of it, the terrible two are sticking at a solid 5/4. Don't be sad, though - why not spend your £22.50 winnings on a ticket to see McFly playing live?

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2pm: Best Bets

According to the latest stats, Amanda and Sam are still riding high at 5/4. They're followed by Brian (4/1), Liam (33/1), Jonty (269/1), Ziggy (89/1) and Carole (239/1).

Not to sway your bet or anything, but there's more chance we'll discover an alien, Elvis-impersonating Lord Lucan in Loch Ness this year than see Carole or Jonty walk off with the prize money on Friday...

5pm: Brian and the twins - joint faves to win Big Brother!

At the moment of going to press, Brian and Samanda (ooh, I haven't said that in a while... feels good) are joint favourites to win, with Virgin Bets currently listing them at 2/1 each. There's no doubt, I'd say, that Sam and Amanda have gained a huge advantage in being treated as one housemate - probably more than one. Not only do voters not have to choose between the two, they know that they'll never have to cope with life in the house on their own, and they they'll have each other to lean on when they leave the house.

Brian does still have a massive following, and deservedly so, but the tide seems to be turning, and I really wouldn't be surprised if we had two winners of BB8, come Friday 31st August.

Brian becomes the people's favourite

Over the last few weeks, I've been charting the Favourites To Win, because, well, I find it interesting. It's cool to see how fickle we are, how we react with knee-jerk speed to an argument here or a flare up there. It's hard to believe now, but at first, we thought Laura was a definite winner. Little did we know that she's actually petty, stubborn and small-minded (you're right, I don't think she's a great loss to the show).

Then Gerry came along and, dazzled by his intellect (after something of a dearth of the stuff prior to him coming into the house), we made him the favourite to win. Then we realised that Liam is an incredibly decent guy, and, remembering that decent guys nearly *always* win BB, all the money went his way. But move over guys - it's Brian's turn.

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Liam becomes new favourite to win

Yup, move over Gerry, there's no place for your common sense and intellect here thank you very much. This is Big Brother, dammit, and don't you forget it. So now, the people's favourite, according to Virgin Bets, is now the man with the telephone-number bank balance, Liam.

Actually, while Gerry's my favourite housemate at the moment, it's pretty hard to find a problem with Liam being the favourite (except, maybe, that he would win the prize fund all over again!). He's laid-back, funny, likes "family, reading, nights out with the lads" and dislikes "rudeness". Not much to argue with there, is there? And for a while, we thought he was going to be the one to thaw the frosty heart of man-hating Nicky, and he probably has.... but inadvertently, it would seem.

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Has Big Brother passed its sell-by-date?

Is it me, or is BB8 already feeling a bit tired and worn out? This year, Big Brother is far from boring with a clutch of incidents to keep us twittering by the water cooler, but it feels like it has failed to really capture the nation enough to keep it well and truly rapt. If that is the case, then why do we (well, maybe it's just me) feel like this?

The third Big Brother is widely regarded as the most boring BB in history... much like a band struggling to come up with a decent third album ('difficult third album syndrome). Now, Big Brother feels like the release of a new Rolling Stones LP. Hardly offensive, but by the same token, not really received with welcoming arms and ears. Big Brother is beginning to smell a bit funky.

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Do first impressions still count?

When the nominations came in yesterday, the BBLB audience were shocked by the fact that Carole and Tracey are up for eviction. Now, I'm utterly on-message, and agree that Shabnam needs to go - she can have her 'deals' and then disappear for ever more as far as we're concerned. But have we been judging Carole and Tracey on their audition tapes for too long?

Carole really needs to stop doing all the housework if it's stressing her out so much, and could start actually taking part in group discussions rather than just wandering off when it all gets too much. Yes, I am agreeing with Samanda there, and according to the stats provided by our partners over at Virgin Bets, more and more people are coming around to the same opinion.

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Yay Or Nay Wednesday: Are Gerry and Seany good additions to the house?

Yes, it's Yay Or Nay Wednesday, ladies and gentlemen, time for you to air your views on a particularly salient issue. This week, our latest additions to the house come under scrutiny: do they add anything to the house?

The answer - don't let me persuade you here - is yes. Gerry is a little over-emotional, granted, but he's also articulate, interesting, fun and understanding. I took an instant dislike to Seany, after he snapped at Gerry in the Diary Room ("I *can* read!") but I think I jumped in too soon and I apologise. He's another one who can actually string a sentence together and God know's we need that. And I don't know what went on under the covers, but their friendship is increasingly endearing.

But what do you think? Has the house benefitted from them coming in?

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Gerry becomes instant favourite

He may have only been in the house for twelve hours, but new contestant Gerry is already the favourite to win, according to our partners over at Virgin Bets, with odds of 13/2 at the time of writing. He's an interesting one certainly. He's originally from Greece, he's gay but apparently bored with men, and he's highly educated in the field of ancient civilizations.

Gerry wasn't the only addition, of course. 25-year-old Seany also made his entrance into the house last night looking, it has to be said, like a Nu-Rave Sylvester McCoy-era Doctor Who. Interesting look. There was instant friction between the two new housemates in the Diary Room, and it seems that viewers have taken against Seany - at 23/1 only Nicky and Charley have longer odds.

Housemate of the Week: Carole

My favourite housemate of the week has to be Carole. As predictable as it is, she is shaping up to be the nation’s favourite. And I’ll tell you why – because she’s gone in there with no pretence, she’s down to earth and she is not afraid to stand up for herself. Or make a fool of herself. In addition to all this, she seems to be a truly genuine person.

I’d categorise her with last year’s winner, Pete – she’s a bit different (in comparison with those in the house), she doesn’t care what people think, she's someone you possibly wouldn't normally be friends with and she doesn’t conform to the norm.

Davina told us on opening night how Carole dressed up as a mobile phone at a recent Scissor Sisters gig. Tears are running down my face. That is what I want to hear... And see.

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Introducing Ziggy

Ziggy Ziggy Ziggy, let's get bizzy! There's finally a bloke in the house: Zac 'Ziggy' Lichman, a music producer/promoter from North London.

The 26 year old lives with his Mum, Dad, brother and sister.

Born on January 5th, 1981, Zippy Ziggy used to be a member of the boyband Northern Line. Their highest charting song was Love on the Northern Line which reached number 15 in March 2000.

Last night Davina suggested he has something of David Beckham about him, perfect for Posh wannabe Chanelle. Both are single.

Ziggy will be the only person to nominate this week, which will mean he is safe until at least week 2.

His arrival has made him second favourite to win the series at 8/1 (Virgin Bets). Bubbly Laura remains the bookies' choice. You can watch Ziggy's entrance after the jump.

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