American Idol, love it or hate it, is down to its last sixteen, eight boys and eight girls. The surprise exit of Alaina, amid the usual floods of tears, has thrown a spanner in the works and music betting devotees are stroking beards and wondering who to go for now. Carly Smithson is big time the bookies front runner but then Ramiele is being proclaimed as the next Aretha, hmmmmm, Syesha has that steely-eyed, slay the opposition, look written all over her and Brooke, well, you just want to marry her. What’s a poor boy to do?
 
The snag with this show is that it’s all about general public voting and it’s a challenge to know which way they’re going to go. The slagging off/praise the contestants get from the judges can influence but then, well, nobody likes know-alls and sometimes the public can decide that they know better. Song choice seems to be a major factor preoccupying the judges and they’re right. Some songs bring out the charisma of people and others don’t and believe you me, it’s all about charisma.

There’s only one serious contender among the men and scandals loom around top favourite David Archuleta. Not the naïve waif he seems, he is alleged to have been in the business since he was four but, eyebrow raising apart, he hasn’t broken the rules. He leads the betting by a long way and, speaking as someone who knows, his cover of the Lennon song ‘Imagine’ is one of those rare things, a rendition of a Beatles song which, while not assuming the status of definitive, is surely a version to stand alongside the original. It was remarkable.

In America they have radio stations where they only play Beatles songs. In America the Beatles are gods and you’re not allowed to sing their songs but they are embracing this one. Sports betting fans, it’s not often I say this, mortgage the house - he’s going to win!