Christmas Number 1 2022: LadBaby’s Food Aid takes early lead but hopes for fifth win challenged by Wham! and Mariah

18.12.2022 - 22:03 / officialcharts.com

LadBaby take early lead with Food Aid in the race for the most important Number 1 of the year – the coveted Official Christmas Number 1 2022, the Official Charts Company can confirm, but early data shows they’re in for a tussle.

Festive title holders Mark and Roxanne Hoyle have this year joined forces with money-saving expert Martin Lewis for Food Aid, to raise money for food bank charity The Trussell Trust and the Band Aid foundation. The highest entry of the week after 38 hours, Food Aid has so far racked up 27,000 chart sales according to Official Charts Company data, predominantly driven by pre-orders and downloads, putting them 16,000 units ahead of the nearest competition on tonight’s Official Chart First Look.While it may sound like a promising lead, daily figures indicate that holding off the sheer streaming might of Christmas classics by Wham!, Mariah Carey, Ed Sheeran & Elton John will prove a significant challenge for the internet stars this week, along with the current popularity of new contemporary releases from Stormzy, RAYE and Lizzo. Never one to be underestimated though, should LadBaby’s momentum accelerate enough to fend off their rivals however, they would become the first act in history to land a record-breaking fifth Christmas Number 1.

Of the exciting race currently forming, Official Charts Company chief executive Martin Talbot said: “It’s that time of the year again, the big race for the Official Christmas Number One, and LadBaby has started the week out in front. But it already looks like it is going to be a tight race and one which will be worth keeping an eye on through the week.”

Christmas classics from Wham! and Mariah Carey are set to close the gap sharply as the week progresses. Last