Betting Rush On Walsh

The Sun today carries a piece saying there has been a rush of bets on unknown actorJulian Walsh becoming the Eleventh Doctor.The article quotes Darren Haines of bookmaker Paddy Power as saying: "Julian might not look the part as he's a bit squat and bald.

"But he's the one people have been trying to back in the last 48 hours.

"At first he was not even on our books, but we've had to slash his odds to 12/1. We fear punters might know something we don't. We're not convinced they're right, but we have to sit up and take note."

A spokesman for Walsh said the actor, pictured right, was "bemused by all of this", adding: "Nobody has approached us yet."

One punter reportedly wanted to place a 2,500 pound bet on Walsh, who is best known from 1980s show Jossy's Giants.

The bookmaker currently has Robert Carlyle as 5-2 favourite - and Ricky Gervais at 66-1.