Race for Christmas number 1 heats up as late boost from YouTube group threatens to topple LadBaby-Emily Bashforth-Entertainment – Metro

Can LadBaby make it five Christmases at number one? (Picture: PA)

LadBaby has been on track to secure a fifth number one this Christmas – but another music act is hot on their heels.

The duo – consisting of Mark Hoyle and wife Roxanne – recently announced their collaboration with Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis for Food Aid.

A new take on the classic Band Aid hit, the song raises money to tackle the fight against hunger and poverty, with 50% of profits going to the Trussell Trust and 50% being donated to the Band Aid Trust. 

And while sales are sure to be high for the chart-topping duo, the Sidemen are clawing up the chart, meaning there’s still a chance of them sitting on top on Friday.

In a late boost, Sidemen have smashed all the way into the Top 10 overnight with their festive viral hit Christmas Drillings – but how far can the YouTube supergroup soar before the chart is locked in?

Featuring members KSI, Vik and Tobi alongside rapper JME (best-known for featuring on his brother Skepta’s That’s Not Me and Wiley’s Top 10 hit Can You Hear Me) Christmas Drillings will comfortably be the week’s highest climber on the Official Singles Chart, up 12 places overnight to Number 9, and up 32 places week on week at this point.

YouTube group Sidemen are hot on their heels with their own charity song (Picture: Instagram)

Christmas Drillings is also for a good cause, raising money for charity network FareShare which aims to reduce food poverty and UK food waste.

Sidemen have hit the campaign trail hard this week, from in-store signings at HMV to boarding a promo bus and ‘shutting down’ Central London yesterday.

Their hard work appears to be paying off in the biggest chart race of the year.

Speaking to OfficialCharts.com about how they would celebrate if they managed to land the Christmas number 1, Vik from Sidemen laughed: ‘I will have a day off! I will kick my feet up and relax because this whole week has been one crazy rollercoaster.

Mark and Roxanne Hoyle teamed up with Martin Lewis for Food Aid, which is on course to top the chart tomorrow (Picture: PA)

‘We didn’t expect to be in the Official Top 40, let alone going for the number one spot. Thank you all so much for streaming, buying the song, supporting a great cause and supporting us.’

Tobi added: ‘I’ve just said that if we get Christmas Number 1, I’m gonna let JJ shave off all my hair. I’m terrified, man! I’ve never been bald in my life. I’m shook.’

On the importance of their charity single, Tobi praised the ‘fantastic’ cause, while reminding fans of how tough times are for many at the moment.

‘Don’t feel like you’ve got to chuck money at the song. If you want to help and can help, we appreciate it, but it’s about helping the people at the end of the day. That’s the main thing.’

LadBaby still leads pack for number one ahead of Wham! and Mariah Carey’s Christmas classics this week, but there’s another act gaining further grounds overnight.

Anarchic punk-rockers The K*nts, whose foul-mouthed political anthem F**k The Tories has turned around throughout the week, up one place since yesterday, currently riding at number seven.

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The Knts have made something of an annual tradition of challenging for the Christmas number one, with Boris Johnson Is A F*****g C**t and Boris Johnson Is Still A F*****g C***t both peaking at Number five in 2020 and 2021 respectively.

In the final few hours of the race, LadBaby’s Food Aid looks to reign supreme, but time will tell if they can add another accolade to their mantlepiece…

The 2022 Official Christmas number one will be announced on Friday, December 23.

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