Mercurys 2012: Odds

Now, I don't have a problem with someone from Ladbrokes saying Alt-J are favourites to win the Mercury Prize. It's just... this bit:

The band's debut album 'An Awesome Wave' is currently the even money favourite to win the yearly £20,000 prize. A representative from the high street bookies told NME:

The four-piece have brought something different and innovative to the party which punters have latched onto. It will be a huge upset if anyone else picks up this year's Mercury Prize and it won't be long before Alt-J are considered as the 'new Radiohead'.

Really? Ladbrokes doing music criticism? Are we to expect HMV to start telling us about fetlocks and the like?

What does "it won't be long before Alt-J are considered as the new Radiohead" mean anyway? Why, if they're going to be the new Radiohead, are they not already being considered the new Radiohead? Do they have to complete a slightly stuttery start to win that title?

Or are they set to be the new Radiohead in the 'never actually winning the Mercury Prize' sense? But that can't be the case, because the man from the bookies says they're going to win.

It's all very odd. But would you take a bookie's word for it?

Don't listen to him; he's convinced it's going to be Burial.

Spice Girls split

Ladbrokes have, apparently, opened a book on which of the Spice Girls are most likely to quit the band first: Geri at Evens, apparently. Beckham is on at fives which - judging by the bemused "I don't have to be here, why am I doing this" look which didn't leave her face all evening yesterday - has got to be good value.