FANCY A FLUTTER IN 2013? LOOK NO FURTHER  

Now that we know the world did not end and we are post the potential apocalypse, the prospect of a new year brings a satisfying dollop of uncertainty and mystery surrounding life’s important matters. Who will judge next year’s X-Factor? Will there even be an X-Factor next year? What colour hat will the queen wear at Ascot? What colour hair will the new royal be blessed with?

While 2013 is somewhat lacking in the trouser department compared to the major sporting, political and cultural events we’ve been spoilt with recently, there’s still plenty of going-on’s to get your knickers in a twist.

Whether you fancy a flutter, or just have lots of space to fill in between Christmas and New Year,  Paddy Power has given Frost a guide to nearly everything and anything that may or may not happen in 2013.

ROYAL BABY

Forget 2012 and the Olympics, Ryder Cup and Jubilee, 2013 is all about Kate, Wills and the little‘en. If you can think of it, we’ll take bets on it.  Victoria is the current joint 5/1 favourite name having started life at a lofty 20/1. George leads the way for boys ahead of 50/1 Paddy.

OSCARS

The Oscars race is well and truly on. For about five minutes it looked like ‘Argo’ had Best Picture all sewn up, cruising to the finish on strong reviews and decent box office. However, with a lap still to go, Affleck’s thriller looks to have peaked too soon and run out of puff with ‘Les Misérables’, ‘Lincoln’ and ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ now looking unbeatable for Best Motion Picture. Meanwhile staying on planet movie, Paddy Power has tipped the Hobbit to be the highest grossing movie of 2013.

SOLAR FLARE

Maybe the Mayans were onto something after all. Forget a plague of cancers, super volcanoes or dark comets laying waste to everything on earth, 2013 could be the year in which we’re paralysed by a catastrophic solar flare causing blackouts and global chaos. The once-in-a-century disaster could see power grids crash, communication systems collapse, planes grounded, food supplies hit and the internet shut down.

1/25 UK national grid to blackout for a day or more

5/6 UK citizens to see a bright red haze

5/1 cost of solar flare damage to exceed $1 trillion

16/1 that we will see the biggest solar flare / geomagnetic storm on record

33/1 World debt to be wiped out

UK POLITICS & CURRENT AFFAIRS

Cameron’s coalition looks to be weakening by the day. With a general election to start thinking about and the Lib Dems languishing behind UKIP in the polls, Paddy Power’s 4/1 for the coalition to split in 2013 could prove a juicy punt.  Meanwhile money continues to trickle in on whether 2013 will be the year for Julian Assange to have a change of scenery, 11/8 says he’ll still be holed up at the Ecuadorian Embassy in 2014 and it’s 100/1 for him to escape via jetpack.

US POLITICS

US politics poses two big questions for 2013. Will the economy suffer negative growth? Help yourself to odds of 2/1 for yes and a safer 1/3 for no. And will Wintour descend upon the UK in 2013? She is just edging behind favourite Matthew Barzun in the betting for the next US Ambassador to the UK.

COMMODITIES

Given world events in 2012 – continued tensions across the Middle East, financial crisis in the Eurozone and economic stagnation in the West – you can bet your bottom dollar the price of gold will continue to rise as investors seek a safe haven for their hard earned cash. How high is anyone’s guess. Paddy Power is offering 5/6 the price of gold will exceed $1750 by the end of 2013. Meanwhile we’re offering 9/2 for the price of gold to hit the magic mark of $2000 any time throughout the year.

HATCHES, MATCHES & DISPATCHES

Whilst England fight the Aussies to retain the Ashes urn next summer, another national treasure may be lost to the convicts as Liz Hurley and Shane Warne head up the betting for our ‘First to get married’ market at evens.

UK WEATHER

The UK is renowned for its unpredictable weather, and 2013 is set to be no different. Strangely, next summer is as likely to be the wettest on record as it is the driest, with both available to back at 6/1. Those dreaming of soaking up the rays on their local beach rather than the water on their kitchen floor can take 8/1 that next summer will be the hottest on record.

8/1       Hottest on record in UK

6/1       Driest on record in UK

6/1       Wettest on record in UK

9/1       Coldest on record in UK

FHM SEXIEST WOMAN

Having inexplicably voted for Tulisa Contostavlos in 2012, the FHM readers are once again being entrusted to choose the magazine’s Sexist Woman for 2013. Mila Kunis is the strong favourite at 5/2 whilst you can get 16/1 that Helen Flanagan’s ball-chewing jungle experience earns her the crown.

5/2       Mila Kunis

8/1       Kate Upton

8/1       Jennifer Lawrence

14/1      Nicole Scherzinger

ON THE BOX

In the fickle world of TV, Simon Cowell may bring himself back into the UK X Factor fold in 2013. The race to be the next host of Strictly Come Dancing appears to be a two-way battle between Anton Du Beke at 13/8 and Vernon Kay at 15/8.