The race to become the UK Christmas Number One 2024 is nearly over, with the winner set to be announced on Friday, December 20th. Wham!’s iconic Last Christmas finally reached the top spot last year, and it is currently the favourite to take the festive crown once again.
However, it faces stiff competition from the likes of Mariah Carey, Tom Grennan, and Band-Aid. Who will be triumphant come Friday evening? Join me as I look at the UK Christmas Number One 2024 odds and find out.
🎄🎤 Top contenders for 2024 Christmas number 1 🎤🎄
2024 is shaping up to be one of the most competitive years in recent memory for the Christmas Number One crown. Join me as I take a look at the leading contenders:
🎶 Wham! – Last Christmas
Wham!’s iconic Last Christmas song is the current bookies’ favourite to take the top spot. George Michael and Andrew Ridgley’s Christmas classic finally topped the charts last Christmas, and its renaissance looks to continue this year, with the song currently at 2/7 with talkSPORT BET to make it to the top of the charts again.
👨🎤 Bet on Wham! – Last Christmas at 2/7 with talkSPORT BET 👨🎤
🎶 Tom Grennan – It Can’t Be Christmas
Tom Grennan gave us the unexpected song of the Euros this summer with ‘The Best a Man Can Get (Gilette), and he has now emerged as a surprise contender for Christmas number one. It Can’t Be Christmas made a huge leap from 25th to 6th in this week’s charts, which suggests momentum could be on its side. While I suspect it may be a little too late for it to pip Wham!, it could still be worth a punt.
🎺 Back Tom Grennan at 8/1 with bet365 🎺
🎶 Mariah Carey – All I Want for Christmas
When looking through the list of every UK Christmas Number One since 1952, it is amazing to think that Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas has never taken the top spot. Similar to Last Christmas, the song has become one of the most beloved Christmas songs of all time, and fans have rallied behind it in recent years to try and finally get it to the top. Unfortunately, I suspect it will have to wait another year.
🎹 Back Mariah Carey to get Christmas Number at 14/1 with BetVictor 🎹
🎶 Yorkshire Pudding Boy – All I Am
Another surprise candidate with UK bookies for Christmas Number One this year is Yorkshire Pudding Boy – All I Am. Sticking with the trend of charity hits dominating the festive charts in recent years, Southend youngster Aaron Paley performs the song. Aaron and his father, James, went viral earlier this year when they posted a video dressed up as Yorkshire Pudding monsters.
The duo are now using this new-found viral fame to launch a bid for Christmas Number One, with all proceeds from All I Am going towards the UK National Autism Society. Whether the song takes the top spot, the Paleys can be proud of their efforts this year.
🎸 Back Yorkshire Pudding Boy to reach Christmas Number One at 16/1 with talkSPORT BET 🎸
🎶 Band-Aid 40 – Do They Know It’s Christmas
While the debate will rage on about the depiction of Africa in Bob Gedolf’s iconic Band-Aid hit, the song is back again for its 40th anniversary, and it is hoping to reach the top spot for a fourth time. Versions of the song topped the charts in 1984, 1989, and 2004. While I don’t think you can ever count out Band-Aid, the song’s popularity has seriously dwindled in recent years, and it looks unlikely to take the crown again.
🎙️ Back Band-Aid 40 at 16/1 with BetVictor 🎙️
🎶 Gracie Abrams – That’s so True
Gracie Abrams conceded her position at the top of the UK charts this week to Wham! after five weeks at the top of the charts. Like the Bookies, I can’t see her returning to dethrone George and Andrew ahead of Christmas.
🎧 Back Gracie Abrams as an outside bet, you can do so at 33/1 with bet365 🎧
🎶 Brenda Lee – Rocking Around the Christmas Tree
80-year-old pop icon Brenda Lee broke all sorts of records last year when her Christmas classic Rocking Around the Christmas Tree topped the Billboard Hot 100. She is looking to repeat that feat on this side of the Atlantic this year, but her odds are slim. Rocking Around the Christmas Tree currently sits at number 5 in the charts.
👩🎤 Back Brenda Lee to be Christmas Number One at 33/1 with bet365 👩🎤
🎶 Rose & Bruno Mars – APT
Rounding off the list is Rose & Bruno Mars’ APT. The catchy pop tune currently sits at number 4 in the charts and is a serious outsider to take the festive top spot, sitting at 66/1 with bet365.
🌹 Bet on Rose & Bruno Mars – APT for Christmas No. 1 at 66/1 with bet365 🌹
The current Christmas number 1 odds
George Michael’s Wham! lead the pack in the race for this year’s Christmas Number One. The following are the current odds for the eight main candidates.
| 2024 Christmas Number 1 | Odds | Probability |
|---|---|---|
| Wham! – Last Christmas | 2/7 | 77.8% |
| Tom Grennan – It Can’t Be Christmas | 8/1 | 11.1% |
| Mariah Carey – All I Want for Christmas | 14/1 | 6.7% |
| Yorkshire Pudding Boy – All I Am | 16/1 | 5.9% |
| Band-Aid 40 – Do They Know It’s Christmas? | 16/1 | 5.9% |
| Gracie Abrams – That’s So True | 33/1 | 2.9% |
| Brenda Lee – Rocking Around the Christmas Tree | 33/1 | 2.9% |
| Rose & Bruno Mars – APT | 40/1 | 2.4% |
How can I bet on Christmas number 1?
If you want to place a bet on this year’s Christmas Number One betting markets, follow these simple steps:
- Choose which bookmaker you would like to use and follow the links we have provided.
- If you are a new customer, register with the site and make sure you claim the welcome bonus.
- While you might not be able to use the welcome bonus on the Christmas Number One betting markets, it is sure to come in handy later.
- Find the UK Christmas Number One betting markets. In my experience, they are typically located in a category labelled either entertainment, film & TV, or novelty.
- Make your selection and add it to your betting slip.
- Enter your stake and double-check you have made the right selection.
- Confirm your bet, and make sure you tune into the Official Chart show on Friday, December 20th, to see if you’ve won.
Who took the Christmas Number One spot in 2023?
Wham! made history last year when the band’s iconic Last Christmas song finally made it to Christmas Number One. The song was first released in 1984 and was produced and written by the late George Michael. As we have already noted in this article, the song could make history again this week, becoming the first song to achieve back-to-back number ones.
Brief history of Christmas number ones
The UK Christmas One has been a strong tradition in the country since the 1950s. Al Martino’s In My Heart became the UK’s first ever Christmas Number One and the first ever song to top the UK charts all the way back in 1952, and since then, music lovers have eagerly tuned into radio one the weekend before Christmas to see which act has taken the festive crown.
Like all pop culture, Christmas Number One has undergone several key phases. The Beatles dominated the Christmas charts in the 1960s before some classic Christmas hits took over in the 1970s and 1980s. Novelty songs and Brit Pop took over in the 1990s, before the rise of talent shows in the 2000s, when Simon Cowell’s X Factor acts routinely topped the Christmas charts.
The rise of streaming changed everything throughout the 2010s, with charity acts like LadBaby dominating the charts in the latter part of the decade. Streaming has also seen a revival of classic chart hits, with Mariah Carey, The Pogues, and Wham! all competing for the top spot over the last few years.
LadBaby is the act that has had the most Christmas number-one hits, securing its fifth consecutive chart-topper in 2022. Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody is the only song ever to be Christmas Number One Twice. However, Wham! can match that record if they go to the top this weekend, and Last Christmas will also become the first song to go to number one in consecutive years.
FAQ
1. When will the Christmas number 1 be announced?
The 2024 Christmas Number One will be announced on Friday, December 20th, on Radio 1’s Official Chart Show.
2. What time is best to place a bet on Christmas number 1?
The Christmas Number Odds are likely to change in the days leading up to the event. Keep your eyes peeled for any last-minute swings, and try to grab yourself some competitive odds if you fancy an upset.
3. Who predicts the Christmas number 1 odds?
Christmas Number Odds are determined by top UK bookmakers. They will take into account current chart positioning and betting trends, among other factors.
About the author
Liam Hoofe
Liam is an experienced iGaming and sports betting journalist based in Cardiff. He has worked in the sports betting industry since 2017 and has provided content for some of the biggest casino and betting brands in the UK. He has also covered football and other sports for both regional and national newspapers.
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