Sorry, Cowell! Military Wives look set to steal Christmas chart glory from X Factor winner as song smashes Amazon pre-order records
- Bookies slash odds of a number one to 5/6 with X Factor finalist second in line with odds of 11/10
By Nadia Mendoza
Last updated at 11:07 AM on 7th December 2011
They are the surprise front-runners to take the coveted Christmas No. 1 spot. But yesterday the Military Wives choir had to be content with spending the day at No. 10.
The ensemble – put together by choirmaster Gareth Malone for a BBC2 documentary – visited Downing Street to perform their charity single Wherever You Are.
This week the choir – who are partners of serving military personnel and are based in Plymouth and Chivenor in Devon – edged ahead of the prospective X Factor winner as favourite for the Christmas No. 1 spot.
You've got my vote: David Cameron meets with members of the Military Wives choir during a reception at Downing Street yesterday
Singing out: The wives are now favourites for the Christmas number one, having removed the future X Factor winner from top spot
Goodwill from the PM: David Cameron speaks to the wives as he hosts a Downing Street reception for the choir
Rupert Adams, a spokesman for bookmaker William Hill, said: ‘This is sensational news as it takes a serious weight of money to move the market this much.’
After the Military Wives had sung, they attended a reception with David Cameron, who said he hoped they would top the festive charts, and around 120 troops returning from operations in Libya.
The Prime Minister told the troops that no party at No. 10 had given him ‘such an honour’ and that they had done ‘a really great thing’ in helping oust ‘one of the most brutal dictators of the last century’ in Colonel Gaddafi.
Wherever You Are - a tribute to soldiers with lyrics taken from love letters written by the women to their partners in Afghanistan - has stormed Amazon’s bestseller chart, two weeks before its release.
On key: The ladies hit a high note outside Number 10
The overwhelming response has led bookmakers to slash the odds on it beating the X Factor winner.
Paddy Power have slashed the odds to just 5/6 and the unknown X Factor singer is the second favourite in the betting at 11/10.
Chris Evans is supporting the single, saying: 'With a fair wind it’ll be a Christmas No1, one that actually means something.'
The radio presenter is even urging Simon Cowell to do his bit for charity and let the wives perform on the X Factor final this weekend and the odds of them doing so are currently 3/1.
Soloist: Samantha Stevenson performs in the video for Wherever You Are and also at the Royal Albert Hall in front of The Queen and other members of the Royal family on Remembrance Sunday
Coming together: Military Wives look set to rival The X Factor Christmas No1
The 100 singers, from military bases in Devon, touched the nation’s hearts on BBC2 show The Choir.
Malone, 36, has even been plugging the song across the Atlantic, writing on Twitter: 'Hello America. UK Military Wives are singing to raise money for military charities (whilst taking on XFactor!)...'
The Royal Academy Of Music graduate first appeared on reality series The Choir in 2007, with the series teaching choral singing to people who had no experience or were reluctant to learn.
Proud of their men: The women sing lyrics they wrote in love letters while their partners were at war
How tweed! Gareth Malone will bring some fierce competition to the charts against the winning X Factor star
Last month, The Choir Military Wives was broadcast with Malone visiting Chivenor Barracks in Devon to meet women at a 'family day' before the troops were deployed to Afghanistan.
He later recruited more wives from Plymouth and 42 Commando Royal Marines, before the final group performed at The Royal British Legions Remembrance parade at the Royal Albert Hall.
Gareth asked the ladies to donate parts of letters to their loved ones to become a song, with Paul Mealor (who also wrote for Prince William and Kate's wedding) to come up with an appropriate track.
Profits from the single will go to the Royal British Legion and Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Forces Help.
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