Celebrity Big Brother: Jim Davidson named favourite to win, despite initial unpopularity with viewers

He may not be popular in the house, but Jim Davidson has been named as favourite to win Celebrity Big Brother...

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by Kayleigh Dray |
Published on

Jim Davidson has become the new favourite to win this year's Celebrity Big Brother.

Former Big Break host Jim isn't the most popular contestant in the house - receiving the most nominations from his fellow housemates earlier this week and regularly sparring with Linda Nolan and Luisa Zissman - but the former comedian is obviously doing something to win over the public because they think he can win.

Sitting pretty with odds of 7/4, Jim has been named the bookies' favourite to win over popular contestants Ollie Locke and Jim Faiers.

A Paddy Power spokesperson said: “Jim is making a break for it as the outright favourite.”

It's a far cry from Jim's first days in the house, when people - including celebrities - openly criticised the comedian on Twitter:

However times have changed and now everyone from One Direction's Louis Tomlinson to the average Joe Bloggs on the street is raving about Jim:

However one recent Twitter post stood out from all the others:

Many seem to feel that it is surprising that the public have taken to Jim Davidson, a man who has long been hailed as a racist, a homophobe and a sexist, not to mention a man who famously confessed to giving his ex-wife Alison Holloway two black eyes during an argument.

Writing about the marriage in his autobiography, The Full Monty, Jim said: “We’re like a couple of boxers.

"On the first occasion, I poked her in the eye by accident. I actually went for the mouth. Thank heaven I missed, I’d have fallen in. I just took a playful punch. Unfortunately I caught her completely wrong.

"The second time I gave her a shiner. I threw a bunch of keys which whacked her in the eye. Just for a giggle she kept blackening it up to make it look worse.”

Jim Davidson on Celebrity Big Brother
Jim Davidson on Celebrity Big Brother

Jim also famously was axed from Hell's Kitchen after slamming gay Brian Dowling.

He said: "Why do shirt lifters pull that same face?"

Brian had asked him not to use the words "shirt lifter" because he found it "really rude", but the stand-up comedian replied: "I don't care. Gay men have the same look - some gay men have the same look"

However Jim defended his actions after leaving the show, saying: "I'm a non PC fossil really. I say the odd thing that seems to upset people without me realising it and then when I get a reaction from someone I feel sort of put upon myself and overreact.

"I think I'll just go back to being that politically incorrect fossil and if people don't like that then they won't come and see me and won't buy the DVDs. Let the people take the vote. Back to reality again.

"People who know me know I am not homophobic. Maybe I was Brian-ophobic. Which I guess is what I was invited in there for ... So a result!"

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So how has Jim managed to turn public opinion around?

Firstly, he's heaped praise upon openly bisexual Ollie Locke, saying: “You’d be happy if your daughter brought him home... Or your son obviously.”

Secondly, Jim has been seen consciously walking away from arguments - barring the "Frank Carson's dressing room" moment - and shown looking a little lost in the house, especially during the nightly parties.

In fact, Luisa's consistent taunting of 60-year-old Jim's dislike of the party scene has led to many suggesting on Twitter that Jim is not a bully - the tired man in his dressing gown is, in fact, being bullied.

Jim and Luisa have clashed since the very first day in the house

Thirdly, Jim's no-holds-barred attitude seems to have won over public opinion - especially after his face-to-face nomination of Linda and Luisa on Thursday night.

He told them: "If it weren’t for you two there would be no arguments in the house and I would be having a high old time."

His speech spawned a big reaction on Twitter, with many praising him for his "genuine" nature and one viewer saying: "If Jim Davidson doesn’t win, the British public has done something wrong."

Jim, Luisa, Ollie, Linda and Lee will face Friday’s eviction - it's impossible to predict, at this time, who will leave.

Do you want Jim Davidson to win Celebrity Big Brother? Or do your affections lay elsewhere? Let us know your thoughts in the Comments Box below, stat.

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