Bookies back Wagner for X Factor exit

A leaked rant from bongo-playing Black Country X Factor hopeful Wagner Carrilho has sparked a new bet from bookies that he will be booted off the show ahead of Saturday's live broadcast.

Eccentric Wagner has been given odds of 12/1 to kicked out before the public vote after a recorded phone call was leaked to the press in which he accuses the show of being fixed.

He was already vying for bottom place in the bookies' list to win with manufactured girl group Belle Amie, both being given odds of 100/1.

Betting experts at Ladbrokes have put the four-piece as favourites to be booted off this week with odds of 2/1, with former PE teacher Wagner, from Pensnett, hot on their heels with odds of 5/2.

Ladbrokes spokesman Alex Donohue said: "Wagner's outburst came out of the blue.

"He was amongst the favourites for eviction but show bosses might not even let him get to the public vote."

During the recording, Wagner can be heard ridiculing the "theatre" of the show, saying everything is orchestrated by Simon Cowell — regardless of the public vote.

"Nobody tells Simon Cowell what to do. The public do not decide who is going to win.

"It is Simon Cowell," he said.

"If he decides Katie will win, she will win. And if he decides a group will win, then they will win." The 54-year-old, who used to teach martial arts in Dudley and Cradley Heath, added that he thought a "pretty girl" or a "group" would win.

His friend Mandy Dhaliwal, 26, owns Tasty Fish Bar opposite Wagner's flat and said he was "very upset" by the story.

"The tapes are old, they were recorded when he thought was out of the competition at the judge's house," she said.

"He made a few ill-thought-out comments when he was upset and under pressure.

"He is always saying that he owes a lot to Simon and Louis for bringing him back into the competition. He doesn't want people to think he thinks badly of the competition."

Meanwhile, friends say Wagner is "distraught" over rumours printed in a tabloid paper that he has been caught smoking cannabis.

Ian Fleming, who speaks to him regularly, said he had received a phone call from the newfound star early today.

He is adamant he was smoking tobacco roll-ups, and this was early last year prior to his appearance on X Factor not two months ago.

"He says smoking is really bad but his generation grew up being told tobacco is good he say he never smokes in front of children and would love to give it up entirely.

"He is saddened that so-called friends would try to make money by selling salacious stories to the press."