The race for this year's Christmas number one has begun with an unlikely contender taking an early lead - everyone's favourite marmalade sandwich-loving bear, Paddington.
The Bookies' Favourite
Tom Fletcher, the McFly star who wrote the music for Paddington The Musical, has released a new song called 'One Of Us' that has quickly become the bookmakers' favourite to claim the coveted Christmas chart top spot. The track dropped last week accompanied by a music video featuring the beloved bear at Paddington Station.
Martin Talbot, Chief Executive of the Official Charts Company, commented: 'A Christmas number one race isn't complete without the arrival on the starting blocks of a bona fide legend. The vision of Paddington taking on this year's diverse gaggle of new festive chart contenders, alongside seasonal classics from The Pogues, Mariah Carey and Wham!, will be something to savour.'
Royal Approval and Musical Success
The musical is currently in previews at London's Savoy Theatre in the West End, with Amy Ellen Richardson starring as Mrs Brown, the character who sings 'One Of Us' in the show. The production brings Michael Bond's iconic bear to life through an innovative combination of an on-stage performer, Arti Shah, and an off-stage remote puppeteer, James Hameed.
The song has already received royal approval. Following Wednesday night's Royal Variety Performance, the Prince and Princess of Wales met both Paddington Bear and Tom Fletcher. Prince William told the musician he thought the performance was 'fantastic' and even complimented the marmalade sandwich in the bear's paw.
This isn't Paddington's first royal connection - he famously appeared in a sketch with the late Queen Elizabeth II during her platinum jubilee celebrations in 2022, where she revealed she kept marmalade sandwiches in her handbag.
Stiff Competition in the Charts
Despite Paddington's early lead, the Christmas number one is far from guaranteed. The bear faces serious competition from music heavyweights including Kylie Minogue, Ed Sheeran and Sabrina Carpenter. Even actress Denise Welch has entered the fray with her festive track 'Slayyy Bells', released in collaboration with Celebrations chocolates.
Tom Fletcher, who has been touring with both McFly and rival band Busted this year, shared that his bandmates have been incredibly supportive of his theatrical venture. 'Dougie Poynter and Harry Judd came to one of the workshops early on,' he told Radio Times. 'They've heard all the songs because they wanted to test to see if they'd cry - they did.'
The album for Paddington The Musical is scheduled for release in March 2026, building anticipation for what could be a landmark moment in the bear's storied history that began with his first publication in 1958.
