JUDI DENCH - DENCH: 'I WON'T WIN BEST ACTRESS OSCAR'

DAME JUDI DENCH is so convinced she won't win this year's (07) Best Actress Academy Award she has advised gambling film fans to bet on another candidate. Dench, who has confirmed she will miss the Oscars ceremony later this month (FEB07) because she will be in hospital undergoing a knee operation, believes her performance in NOTES ON A SCANDAL will struggle to compete with fellow nominees KATE WINSLET, PENELOPE CRUZ, DAME HELEN MIRREN and MERYL STREEP. Speaking at the Berlin Film Festival, Dench said, "Don't put any money on me because you'll lose. "The thing about the Oscars, it's strange because in the theatre you would say, 'Break a leg.' I can't because I'm to have a knee operation. I can't go to the awards. I'm going to have my leg broken and put back together. "I will watch and cheer from my bed."