Meet this year’s best bet to keep X Factor winner from Christmas No 1
Published:
Despite ranking highly on many a favourite festive song poll The Pogues’ Fairytale of New York cannot be placed in such illustrious company as Mr Blobby’s Mr Blobby and Bob the Builder’s Can We Fix It …yet.
The 1987 hit reached number two in the UK charts upon release, being beaten to the Christmas crown by the Pet Shop Boys’ Always On My Mind but a recent sales surge could see the song finally earn the Christmas Number One spot, according to Ladbrokes.
X Factor favourite Fleur East heads the betting at present at 4/7 and with six of the last nine yuletide top spots being taken by her talent show predecessors it looks a safe bet.
However, charitable causes and downright boredom with Simon Cowell’s dominance have seen the X Factor take a bit of a battering in recent years with the Justice Collective’s He Ain’t Heavy He’s My Brother, the Military Wives’ Wherever You Are and Rage Against the Machine’s Killing in the Name Of all taking top spot in the last five years.
The bookmakers still thinks Cowell and co. have a good chance this year, with Ben Haenow the second favourite at 4/1 and Andrea Faustini holding an outside chance at 20/1.
Band Aid 30 (5/1), Bruno Mars (6/1) and Iron Maiden (10/1) are also contenders but it is the Pogues that have the momentum after downloads put the punk band into the official top 20.
As a result of the sales surge the odds on The Pogues being crowned Christmas Number One 27 years after their first attempt have been slashed from 100/1 to just 16/1.
Jessica Bridge of Ladbrokes said: “Band Aid 30 peaked too early and although Fleur’s the odds-on favourite, the money suggests an upset could be on the cards by Bruno Mars or The Pogues.”
Fleur East 4/7
Ben Haenow 4/1
Band Aid 30 5/1
Bruno Mars 6/1
Iron Maiden 10/1
Peace Collective 16/1
The Pogues 16/1
Andrea Faustini 20/1
John Otway 20/1
Idris Elba, Noel Fielding and Serge Pizzorno 33/1
One Direction 50/1
Take That 50/1
Ed Sheeran 66/1
Sheridan Smith 100/1
Sir Cliff Richard 100/1
Tom Odell 100/1
Tinchy Stryder and The Chuckle Brothers 100/1
Wacky Warehouse Little Singers 100/1
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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