LadBaby drops out of Christmas Number One race as TikTokers battle for top spot

21 December 2023 , 10:34

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LadBaby drops out of Christmas Number One race as TikTokers battle for top spot

The X Factor winner was almost guaranteed the Christmas Number One, but who will bag it with the show no longer around?

This year, several names have been thrown into the hat, including some of the biggest names in music. The top spot will be announced on Friday, December 22, while the full Christmas Top 40 will be counted down on BBC Radio 1's Official Charts with Jack Saunders from 4pm

In the weeks leading up to the big reveal, we've seen the likes of Cher belt out her new hit, DJ Play A Christmas Song across the globe, as well as multiple TikTok creators heading to Abbey Road Studios to record a track under the name, Creator Universe.

LadBaby has backed out of the running (PA)

Shane MacGowan is tipped for the top spot with The Pogues' Fairytale Of New York (PA)

While LadBaby has held the prestigious gong for the past five years, the creator, Mark Hoyle, and his wife Roxanne revealed they were ruling out battling for the top spot this year. But, who will it go to? This year, Ladbrokes have placed four names in the running for the festive gong.

Bookies currently have Wham! priced at 4/7 for their mega-hit Last Christmas, while The Pogues hit Fairytale Of New York is priced at 5/2 following the devastating death of lead singer Shane MacGowan last month. Shane's widow, Victoria has recently backed the campaign to get the song back to the top of the charts.

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Elsewhere, Creator Universe, with I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday is placed at 7/1 while Sam Ryder is 8/1 with You're Christmas To Me. Profits from the Creator Universe track will go to The Trussell Trust, which works to prevent hunger and poverty in the UK.

Alex Apati of Ladbrokes LIVE said: "It's all change once again at the head of the festive top spot betting, and it looks like Wham! are peaking at just the right time, as far as the odds are now concerned."

Meanwhile, Martin Talbot, the chief executive of the Official Charts Company said: "LadBaby have dominated for the last five years and I think by the time it reached its fifth Christmas number one last year, people were keen to see something a bit fresh and a bit new.

"We've obviously got the classics that are coming back into the charts, we've got the usual run of charity records driven by ordinary people who just want to raise some money for good causes, and we've also got one or two really interesting releases as well, like Sam Ryder."

Daniel Bird