Ed & Elton now short-price favourites for 70th Christmas Number One

Chart superstar Ed Sheeran and music icon Sir Elton John are firm favourites to land the 70th Christmas Number One, according to William Hill.

The bookmaker instituted the now traditional flutter on each year’s festive chart-topper, when taking bets on 1977’s No1, Mull of Kintyre.

Apparently, Sir Elton ‘reached out’ on Christmas Day 2020 after discovering his Christmas song ‘Step Into Christmas’ had reached the top 10 for the first time ever.

The powerhouse pair have created three new Christmas songs, the first of which will be released at the beginning of December, and is called Merry Christmas. William Hill made it clear, standalone favourite earlier this month, but the odds have tightened again to 8-13, or a 61% chance in old money.

They lead a whole pantheon of artists who will, this year, bid to become the latest icons to join a Christmas music hall of fame, which includes the likes of The Beatles, Queen, Sir Cliff and The Spice Girls.

LadBaby, real name Mark Boyle, has kept his cards close to his chest as to whether he will stake a claim for a historic fourth consecutive number one. Achieving such a feat – William Hill is offering odds of 2-1 (second favourite) – would see Boyle draw level with The Beatles, who have four Christmas Number Ones to their name.

Powerhouse songstress Adele, who recently secured a third UK number one with her first new music in six years, shattered all manner of streaming records with Easy On Me. Her album 30, due to be released next week, is expected to be the biggest-selling record over the Christmas period. The Tottenham-born 33-year-old is 7-2 to continue her domination and claim the biggest selling festive single.

Abba, who recently released their first studio album in 40 years, in what was billed as the reunion of the century, are 10-1 with the third track on the album revealed to be a twinkly Christmas tune, Little Things.

And they keep on coming, with recently reunited boy band The Wanted setting their hearts on securing the top festive single at 25-1, rising star Lola Young, the voice of John Lewis’ cute Christmas curtain raiser, at 33-1, and Gary Barlow and Sheridan Smith’s pending duet of How Christmas Is Supposed To Be available at 40-1,

Sir Cliff Richard’s re-recorded version of Mistletoe and Wine, 1988’s Christmas Number One, is 40-1, and leads a host of other Christmas classics, including; Wham! At 33-1, and Mariah Carey, primed for another Last Christmas at 40-1, while Westlife (33-1), who have just released new single My Hero, and Leona Lewis, who has announced a repack of her 2013 festive album, now titled Christmas, With Love Always, at 40-1, make this year’s battle to finish top of the tree an absolute bumper.

Christmas Number One Odds

Elton John & Ed Sheeran 8-13 – 61% CHANCE

LadBaby – 2-1 – 33% CHANCE

Adele – 7-2 – 22% CHANCE

Abba – 10-1 – 9% CHANCE

The Wanted – 25-1 – 3% CHANCE

Westlife 33-1 – 2% CHANCE

Lola Young 33-1 – 2% CHANCE

Wham! 33-1 – 2% CHANCE

Michael Buble 33-1 – 2% CHANCE

Leona Lewis 40-1 – 2% CHANCE

Mariah Carey 40-1 – 2% CHANCE

Coldplay 40-1 – 2% CHANCE

Cliff Richard – 40-1 – 2% CHANCE

Gary Barlow & Sheridan Smith – 40-1 – 2% CHANCE

The 70th Christmas Number One will be announced at 17:45 on Friday December 24.