Bookies Tremble As £1 Million Oscar Race Reaches Conclusion

Bookmakers William Hill have already paid out £50,000 on Dame Helen Mirren winning the Best Actress Oscar and are now in fear of a total trashing from punters after a last minute gamble on Peter O'Toole and Little Miss Sunshine.

Peter O'Toole was especially popular before the close of betting backed down from 10/3 to 2/1 to win the Best Actor Oscar and Little Miss Sunshine finished joint favourite for the Best Film Oscar with The Departed at even money.

The bookies have also seen money for one of their specials; that any of the Oscar acceptance speeches to take longer than five minutes at 33/1.

"We resigned ourselves to losing on Helen some weeks ago but are desperate to get Peter O'Toole and Little Miss Sunshine beaten or this will be our worst Oscar results ever." said William Hill's spokesman Rupert Adams.