Adam Hills and Flight Of The Conchords are joint favourites to win the Perrier – according to a new ‘virtual’ betting site.

Comedian Dominic Frisby has set up www.perrierbet.co.uk to offer odds on the outcome of comedy’s most prestigious prize – and the two antipodean acts are currently both 4/1. Both were nominated last year, Hills for the third time.

Second favourites, at 6/1 are Reginald D Hunter and Howard Read, who were both also 2003 nominees, while Andy Parsons and Andrew Maxwell are also frontrunners, at 7/1 each.

However, the odds have been set before the festival has even officially begun, with few reviews and little word-of-mouth to base the figures on.

Frisby admitted: “I'm not even going to Edinburgh this year. Or if I do, it won't be for more than a couple of days. My finger is NOT on the pulse.”