The race for the UK Christmas number one single is underway, with Christmas just 70s days away — and the latest odds suggest some surprising contenders.
The Christmas number one race has been running since 1952, when the UK Singles chart was first compiled, with everyone from Shakin’ Stevens, Slade, Cliff Richard, and Mr Blobby securing the top spot.
Gone are the days when the year’s X Factor winner was a shoo-in for the Christmas number one, and these days, it really could be anyone’s race, whether their song is festive or not.
The breakout Netflix animated film KPop Demon Hunters has a 33.3% chance (2/1 odds) of taking the top spot thanks to the viral success of its track Golden.
Despite having no festive theme, the song’s global fandom has helped it stay high in the UK charts.
Mariah Carey is, of course, always in the running to grab the top spot with her iconic festive single All I Want For Christmas Is You, 31 years after its release.
But according to new predictions from entertainment betting experts OLBG, Wham! are the firm favourites to top the charts for a third year running.
Their 1984 classic Last Christmas currently leads the betting with odds of 1/2, giving the song a 66.7% chance of claiming the coveted Christmas Day top spot.
If it happens, it will mark a remarkable hat-trick for George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley’s festive anthem – which, despite its enduring popularity, only reached number one for the first time in 2023, nearly four decades after its release.
It repeated the feat in 2024, finally cementing its place as Britain’s most beloved holiday hit.
‘Wham! are strong odds-on favourites for a third straight Christmas Number One, and it’s hard to see them being stopped unless a major charity single or a viral track breaks through,’ says Jake Ashton, entertainment betting expert at OLBG.
Trailing behind are some other surprising challengers.
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Ed Sheeran (4/1) and American TikTok star Alex Warren (4/1) are both strong contenders, while Taylor Swift’s new single The Fate of Ophelia sits at 8/1, buoyed by her unstoppable streaming power.
No Christmas chart race would be complete without LadBaby, who dominated from 2018 to 2022 with five consecutive novelty number ones.
This year, the YouTube duo return at 10/1, while influencer collective The Sidemen follow at 12/1, hoping to repeat their viral chart success from previous years.
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