YouTube star LadBaby is currently the front-runner in the race for Christmas number one.
The vlogger, who took the festive chart crown last year, has taken an early lead in this year’s battle ahead of the likes of Stormzy, Wham! and Ellie Goulding, the Official Charts Company said.
LadBaby, real name Mark Hoyle, has released a charity single called I Love Sausage Rolls, a twist on Joan Jett’s I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll, in the same vein as his 2018 chart-topper We Built This City, an ode to sausage rolls parodying Starship’s classic hit.
Grime star Stormzy is currently at number two just two days into the week with Own It, a collaboration with Ed Sheeran and Burna Boy from his new album Heavy Is The Head.
Wham! classic Last Christmas is at number three ahead of Goulding’s new song River, a cover of the Joni Mitchell song recorded for Amazon Music as part of their Amazon Originals series, at number four.
LadBaby has a strong lead over his closest competitors thanks to downloads but the Official Charts Company said the “streaming power” of his rivals could cause the gap to close significantly.
Official Charts Company chief executive Martin Talbot said: “As we enter the biggest week of the year, the race for official Christmas number one is under way – and it looks as though it could well be a sausage roll Christmas once again.
“LadBaby’s latest sausage song is a genuine banger and is already looking like the track to beat – with Stormzy, Ellie Goulding and Wham! all in his wake.”
All proceeds for LadBaby’s novelty song will go to food bank charity The Trussell Trust for the second year running.
If the internet star does maintain his lead, he would be the first artist to score consecutive Christmas number ones in more than 20 years.
The Spice Girls are the last to achieve the feat, scoring three in a row in 1996 to 1998 with their hits 2 Become 1, Too Much and Goodbye.
Other potential contenders for this year’s Christmas number one are Dua Lipa’s Don’t Start Now, which is currently at number five, and Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You at number six.
The Christmas number one will be announced on Friday December 20.