Will Smith has become the gamblers’ favourite to win this year's Perrier award.

Betting website Perrierbet.co.uk, set up by stand-up Dominic Frisby specifically for the Edinburgh awards, has Smith’s Misplaced Childhood as 4-1 favourite.

Close behind him at 5-1 are stand-ups Andrew Maxwell, Andy Parsons, Chris Addison, Tim Vine, Danny Bhoy and Jason Byrne. Although whether all these acts are eligible is uncertain, even to Frisby.

Of Smith’s show, based around his obsession with the band Marillion, Frisby said: 'It is an excellent show, and when it comes to the crunch everyone  seems to think his is the show on which to risk their  mortgage.’

‘The favourites are all stand-ups at the moment, though I thought Steve Furst's character show was very strong.

‘I've been generally very impressed by the shows I've seen this year.’