Now that the speculation is over and we know who is definitely taking part in this year’s Strictly Come Dancing, bookmakers across the country are already taking bets on who’s going to win the show…

And as it stands right now, Denise Van Outen is favourite to win with Ladbrokes offering odds of 5/1 that she’ll waltz off with the Glitterball trophy.

A Ladbrokes spokesman told TV Biz, “Denise was amazing in Chicago, which is why she’s such a shoo-in.”

Here’s how the other 13 celebs are currently rating at the bookie’s…

Former EastEnders star Sid Owen is at 33/1. Sid himself says he’s “the underdog” of the contest, but he’s reportedly training hard, so an early punt might be a plan!

Olympic gold medalist Victoria Pendleton is at 14/1 because although she is of course über fit, she reckons she has “zero skills” in the dancing department. However, insiders say she could turn out to be tough to beat.

Gymnast Louis Smith has odds of 5/1 but show sources claim that Louis, who won a silver medal at the Olympics, has “the drive and talent to reach the final stages” so again, he might be one to watch.

Westlife singer Nicky Byrne is also at 5/1, and pundits think that because he’s very used to performing live, nerves won’t affect him on the show.

Girls Aloud singer Kimberley Walsh is another contestant who has odds of 5/1, and as we reported yesterday, she’s already training hard.

Tracy Beaker star Dani Harmer is at 12/1, but as she danced during this year’s Let’s Dance For Sport Relief, she could be the dark horse of the contest.

Actor Colin Salmon is at 12/1 and so far, he’s something of an unknown quantity, given there’s no hint about his dance skills as yet!

Veteran TV presenter Johnny Ball has odds of 20/1, because the bookies reckon he might not go the distance, given his age.

Model Jerry Hall is also at 20/1, and again, though she’s in tip top slim shape, her age might count against her in the tough training schedule.

TV presenter Fern Britton is at 33/1 impressed the judges on the show’s Christmas Special in 2010, but can she keep up with the other contenders?

Daybreak regular Richard Arnold is at 16/1, and of him, the paper states, “The cheeky telly star will win over fans with his personality but could struggle on the dance floor.”

Former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan is at 14/1 with insiders speculating that he might struggle to compete alongside Olympians Louis and Victoria.

Ex-Emmerdale star Lisa Riley is at 20/1, but as we reported last week, she’s putting in around eight hours of training per day! So I wouldn’t write her off yet; she’s obviously a very determined contestant!

Are you having a bet on anyone?

In other SCD news, it’s been reported today that the popular Dance Off is returning to the Sunday results show.

As fans of the show will know, SCD bosses had previously scrapped the head-to-head between the two lowest-scoring celebs, but viewers pressed for its return, claiming that the Sunday show “lacks excitement” without it.

An insider said of the decision to bring back the Dance Off, “The new production team have decided to reinstate the Sunday night dance-off in a bid to inject more jeopardy.

“Viewers also said they missed it and it will bring added excitement to the show.

“With Darcey Bussell replacing Alesha Dixon on the panel, all four judges will be looking at the technical aspects of the dances.

“Last year was all about showbiz and fun but things are going to be a bit more serious this year.

“The professional dancers have been told that.”

Are you glad it’s back?