LadBaby pull out of Christmas number one single race

By Andre Rhoden-PaulBBC News

The UK Christmas number one will sound a little different this year.

LadBaby have said they will not be releasing a Christmas song following a five-year streak topping the festive chart.

The internet stars have treated us, or some may say subjected us, to pastry-filled charity singles like I Love Sausage Rolls and Don't Stop Me Eatin'.

"We wanted to pass the baton over," Mark and Roxanne Hoyle said, announcing the news on Instagram.

"The public backing a sausage roll - only in Great Britain."

Last year, the duo landed their fifth number one with Food Aid, setting a UK official chart record as the first act to score five consecutive Christmas number one singles.

Mark and Roxanne told their combined 2.9 million Instagram followers: "Are we going for another Christmas number one this year? The answer is no we are not.

"We've had the most amazing incredible five years and we want to say thanks for helping us put Trussell Trust on the map, putting them in the forefront of everyone's mind at Christmas."

The couple also addressed "false stories" around the songs, which see profits going to the foodbank charity providing emergency food for people facing hardship.

In a statement, the Trussell Trust said they were grateful for the couple's support and they look forward to continuing to work with them as ambassadors for the charity.

In December last year, the trust said LadBaby's number ones had raised £305,000 for the charity, on top of the £1m the stars raised for it through brand partnerships.

Reacting on social media, people said they were happy to be spared another song about sausage-filled pastry.

"LadBaby aren't making a Christmas song. The world is healing," one person tweeted.

"We have been freed," said another.

The pair first stormed to the top of the charts in 2018 with an ode to sausage rolls - a comedy version of Starship's We Built This City, changing the lyrics to "we built this city on sausage rolls".

The following years, they released I Love Sausage Rolls in 2019, Don't Stop Me Eatin in 2020, and Sausage Rolls For Everyone featuring Ed Sheeran and Sir Elton in 2021.

The news means the odds have been slashed for classical singer Andrea Boccelli to clinch the top spot with his song Festa, which plays over the John Lewis Christmas advert.

Wheatus are also making a bid for Christmas number one reworking their noughties hit with Christmas Dirtbag.

And of course they will face competition from Christmas classics including Mariah Carey, Wham and The Pogues.

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