Christmas number one: Wham!'s 'Last Christmas' tops odds against The Pogues and Mariah Carey

The race is already on in the single’s chart to land the coveted Christmas number one spot, which will be announced on BBC Radio 1’s The Official Chart from 4pm on Friday 22 December.

Wham’s 'Last Christmas' and Sam Ryder’s 'You’re Christmas To Me' are in a neck-and-neck battle, while Mariah Carey and The Pogues are also putting up a fight.

Carey is at third midweek with 'All I Want For Christmas Is You', while Ed Sheeran and Elton John’s 'Merry Christmas' jumps to the fourth spot.

The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl are currently at five with 'Fairytale of New York', but Shane MacGowan’s widow Victoria Mary Clarke has said she would like to see the song land in the top spot. The frontman died earlier this month at the age of 65.

What are the Christmas number one odds?

Wham! have seemingly defied this year’s Whamageddon by becoming the favourites with William Hill to top the UK Singles Chart this Christmas.

George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley’s iconic ‘Last Christmas’ single was as high as 6/1 last Friday (15 December) to secure this year’s Christmas Number One but is now odds-on with the bookmaker at 4/7.

The Pogues have subsequently drifted out to 2/1, with the Creator Universe likewise going the other way at 4/1.

Spokesperson for William Hill, Lee Phelps, said: “Few would have imagined Wham! to be anywhere near the top of the UK Charts after the ongoing Whamageddon took the nation by storm, but with just one week until Christmas Day, George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley have made a late move.

“The duo are now the odds-on favourites with us at 4/7 to top the Singles Charts on 25th December, just three days after being an unlikely 6/1 shot. This spells bad news for The Pogues who now trade at 2/1, with the Creator Universe also drifting at 4/1."