28 November 2025
Newsdesk
From EsDeeKid to Denise Welch via Kylie, Sienna Spiro, Together For Palestine and Paddington Bear - 2025’s Christmas Number 1 race has it all!
The biggest Official Chart race of the year is just a few weeks away, and with WHAM! claiming last year’s coveted title for a second time with Last Christmas, it's a bold warrior who would throw themselves into battle with such proven festive chart giants.
But, we have a gaggle of brave pop soldiers stepping up to do just that.
A Scouse rapper. A daytime TV queen. A London singer-songwriter on the cusp of greatness. Add in some Aussie pop royalty, an animated K-pop phenomenon, a whole host of charity singles, festive faves and one Peruvian bear.
It can only be the UK's Official Christmas Number 1 season.
Kicking off on Friday 12 December 2025, the 2025 Christmas Number 1 single will be announced Friday, 19 December live on BBC Radio 1's The Official Chart.
Speaking on this year’s race, Martin Talbot, Chief Executive Officer, Official Charts says: “It's that time of year again - Christmas is coming and the release schedules are fattening up with every day. So it’s time to watch the contenders gather on the starting line for one of the year's biggest chart races. This year, there is a wide variety of contenders - including children's favourites, charity fund raisers, daytime TV icons and Aussie pop queens, among many more.
“Within three weeks we’ll know the winner. Until then... On your marks, get set, go!”
Who could be in the running for this year’s race?
New Releases and Possible Climbers
EsDeeKid – Century/Phantom/4 Raws (out now)
Our most unlikely contender could well be a balaclava-bedecked rapper from Liverpool. (Unless social media conspiracies are to be believed, in which case it’s Timothée Chalamet).
Enigmatic EsDeeKid’s got some serious chart momentum right now, his debut album Rebel has been relentlessly scaling the Official Albums Chart for 10 weeks straight, he's got a trio of tracks riding high on the Official Singles Chart including Phantom ft. Rico Ace, 4 Raws and now Century is tracking to smash the Top 10 for the first time this week.
This is one dark horse who could cause some festive disruption.
RAYE – WHERE IS MY HUSBAND! (out now)
She’d famously like a big and shiny diamond, but RAYE would probably settle for one of those cheapo plastic rings from a Christmas cracker if you could guarantee her the 2025 Christmas Number 1. WHERE IS MY HUSBAND! has been bubbling away in the Top 5 – could Christmas party season finally push it all the way?
Sienna Spiro – Die On This Hill (out now)
Undoubtedly one of late 2025’s breakout stars, 20 year-old London singer-songwriter Sienna’s emotional ballad Die On This Hill enters the festive season in a very strong position, having recently broken the Top 10 for the first time amid a six-week ascent. One to keep an eye on in the Christmas chart race and through 2026, for sure.
Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande – For Good (out now)
Let’s face it, we’ll all be convinced we’ve cracked Elphaba’s high harmony at the work Christmas do after a mulled wine. This standout track from Wicked: For Good will no doubt show some staying power this festive season.
Labrinth – Where Love Lives (out now)
The soundtrack to this year’s John Lewis Christmas ad comes courtesy of Labrinth, with his cover of Alison Limerick’s ‘90s club classic Where Love Lives.
Olivia Dean – The Christmas Song (out now)
2025’s truly been Olivia Dean’s year. After scoring the Official Chart Double and bagging herself a GRAMMY nomination, can she top things off with a Christmas Number 1? Having peaked at Number 19 on its release in 2021, Olivia might just have a seasonal slow burn on her hands with The Christmas Song.
Taylor Swift – The Fate Of Ophelia/Opalite/Elizabeth Taylor (out now)
You’d be foolish to rule Taylor Swift out of the running after the record-breaking year she’s had. With three key contenders from The Life Of A Showgirl riding high on the Official Singles Chart, Swifties will be keen to see Taylor take one of the very few accolades she’s still yet to achieve – the UK Christmas Number 1.
Dave ft. Tems – Raindance (out now)
Yet to break its four-week Top 10 streak, could Dave and Tems’ Raindance continue to hold its own against the festive tunes?
New Christmas Songs
Kylie Minogue – XMAS (out now)
All together now! “X-M-A-S! X-M-A-S!” Kylie Minogue teams up with Amazon Music UK on somewhat of a…modern-day YMCA. With its camp as Christmas, TikTok-ready choreo, Kylie’s Amazon exclusive follows a string of seasonal success stories from the streaming service, including Tom Grennan’s 2024 Top 5 offering It Can’t Be Christmas and Sam Ryder’s Number 2 smash You’re Christmas To Me, which gave Last Christmas a real run for its money in 2023.
Lifted from a brand-new ‘Fully Wrapped’ repack of her 2015 Kylie Christmas collection, could XMAS see Kylie claim an eighth UK chart-topper, and her first-ever Christmas Number 1, or could a certain Loose Woman stand in the way?
Denise Welch – Slayyy Bells (out now)
Listen up, huns! Going head-to-head with Kylie is Loose Women’s very own Denise Welch, with her hyperpop festive banger Slayyy Bells. With iconic lyrics like ‘we’re serving looks, not turkey,’ this is what the Christmas Number 1 race is all about. It’s giving…BRAT winter.
#ChartFact: this isn’t actually Denise’s first flirtation with the Official Charts. Back in 1995, she scored a Number 23 hit with her version of Dusty Springfield’s You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me.
Tom Fletcher – One Of Us (from Paddington The Musical) (out today)
It wouldn’t be a Christmas Number 1 race without a contender of the cuddly variety. Celebrating the launch of Paddington The Musical at London’s Savoy Theatre, Paddington Bear swaps marmalade sandwiches for the mixing desk with One Of Us.
The heartwarming ballad, performed by ‘Mrs Brown’ in the musical, has been recorded by the show’s composer and lyricist, McFly’s Tom Fletcher. Look out for the music video, filmed at a deserted Paddington station, starring Tom and our furry friend from Darkest Peru.
Sophie Ellis-Bextor – (Christmas) Time (out now)
Sophie reworks Time, taken from her recent Top 5 album Perimenopop, just in time for the holidays.
Pixie Lott – First Christmas
What better way to celebrate the birth of your first born than with a festive bop dedicated to them? All the feels.
Picture This – It’s Christmas Time (out now)
The Irish four-piece serve up their first original Christmas tune It’s Christmas Time, and it’s an emotional one.
The Divine Comedy – All the Pretty Lights (out now)
Lifted from their recent Top 5 album Rainy Sunday Afternoon, The Divine Comedy throw their hat into the ring with All The Pretty Lights, complete with a heart-warming animated music video. Proper cosy, nostalgic vibes, this one.
A K-pop Christmas?
HUNTR/X – Golden/How It’s Done/What It Sounds Like (out now)
In the year that saw K-pop going up, up, up the Official Charts, could a first-ever K-pop Christmas Number 1 be the latest in a line of record-breaking feats for the genre? Netflix phenomenon Kpop Demon Hunters has had the nation in its grip, with animated force HUNTR/X racking up 10 non-consecutive weeks atop the Official Singles Chart with Golden and landing a place in the Official biggest songs of 2025 so far.
A three-pronged attack, HUNTR/X enter the race for 2025’s Christmas Number 1 with Golden, How It’s Done and What It Sounds Like all in their arsenal. What’s more, the latter receives a vinyl pressing shipping on December 12, making it a key contender.
Charity Singles & Social Media Campaigns
Together For Palestine – Lullaby (out December 12)
The team behind Together For Palestine, the sold-out September 2025 Wembley gig that raised over £2 million for Gaza, release charity single Lullaby on December 12, the very day the UK's Official?Christmas Number 1?race kicks off.
Featuring a host of UK and Palestinian musicians - including Amena,?Yasmeen Ayyashi,?Bastille's Dan Smith,?Leigh-Anne,?Neneh Cherry,?Mabel?and many more. This powerful reimagining of traditional Palestinian folk song Yamma Mweel El Hawa (O song of longing, mother) will see all profit go to Choose Love’s Together For Palestine Fund, supporting three Palestinian-led organisations: Taawon, Palestine Children's Relief Fund and Palestine Medical Relief Service.
Home Care’s Got Talent Choir - Angels (out now)
Dan Archer, UK CEO of home care service Visiting Angels, leads the Home Care’s Got Talent Choir and their cover of Robbie Williams’ Angels. Recorded at the iconic Abbey Road Studios, Angels includes vocals from The Voice star Kuill and Bucks Fizz’s Jay Aston, aiming to shine a light on the vital role of care workers. All profits from the single will be donated to The Care Workers Charity.
Ian Gillan & UROCK – IN LINE (out December 12)
Deep Purple’s Ian Gillan teams up with self-produced band UROCK, led by American-Italian vocalist Umberto Urock, for this statement of self-governance, resisting ‘mass mediocrity.’ The track’s backed by social media campaigner Jon Morter, whose Facebook push famously took Rage Against The Machine’s Killing In The Name to victory over Joe McElderry’s The Climb back in 2009.
Kate Winslet – What If (out now)
It originally peaked at Number 6 on its release in 2001, and now Kate Winslet’s sole chart pursuit, originally recorded for Christmas Carol: The Movie, is capturing the attention of a whole new generation via social media. Sparking a trend on TikTok, fans are keen to see this ‘underrated banger’ take the top spot.
Festive Faves
Shakin’ Stevens – Merry Christmas Everyone (out now)
This year marks 40 years since Shaky’s yuletide tune claimed the Christmas Number 1 of 1985. What better way to celebrate than by seeing the staple back at the festive summit?
The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl – Fairytale of New York (out now)
A seasonal stalwart returning to the Top 40 every year since 2005, The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl’s Fairytale of New York has so far peaked at Number 2. With its release of a 12-inch zoetrope vinyl on December 12, complete with a previously unheard 1987 live version of MacColl’s first performance with the band, it’ll be hoping to go all the way this time around.
Chris Rea – Driving Home For Christmas (out now)
With a new limited white vinyl pressing coming on December 5, Chris Rea’s melancholic seasonal offering is aiming to beat the Number 10 peak it achieved in 2021.
Kelly Clarkson – Underneath The Tree (out now)
This modern Christmas classic, released in 2013, broke the Top 10 for the first time last year. Can its upward trajectory take it all the way?
Slade – Merry Xmas Everybody (out now)
“It’s Christmaaaaas!” The glam rock outfit, now working under the name Dave Hill’s Slade, kick off their ‘final’ tour this December, playing cities across the UK throughout the week of the Christmas Number 1 race. Coincidence? We think not.
WHAM! – Last Christmas (out now)
WHAM! made Official Chart history in 2024 when Last Christmas became the first song ever to clinch the Christmas Number 1 crown in two consecutive years. Can Andrew Ridgeley make it a hat-trick in 2025?
Mariah Carey – All I Want For Christmas Is You (out now)
Somehow, the undisputed Queen of Christmas has never actually secured the Christmas Number 1 title with All I Want For Christmas Is You. It’s got to happen sometime, right?
Girls Aloud – Not Tonight Santa (out now)
Taken from the girls’ new Christmas ‘Round At Ours release, and with a festive music video featuring footage from the vaults, Not Tonight Santa has been given a proper push for 2025.
Christmas Covers
Anne-Marie – Merry Xmas Everybody (out now)
This year, Anne-Marie puts her own stripped-back spin on the Slade staple.
Laufey – Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town (out now)
With three festive Top 40 covers to her name already, Icelandic auteur Laufey will be hoping for a fourth with her rendition of Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town.
ALYA ft. Eric Clapton – Silent Night (out now)
Slovenian singer-songwriter ALYA joins forces with the legendary Eric Clapton on this ethereal cover of the classic carol.
