Cian Ducrot narrows gap between Skindred in race for Number 1 album

The race is getting incredibly close.

Cian Ducrot has narrowed the gap between himself and Skindred in this week's race for the UK's Number 1 album.

Moving quickly from yesterday - when there was a tight three-way tussle for Number 1 between Skindred, Cian and The Sherlocks - overnight, Cian has leapt from Number 3 to Number 2 to challenge for the top of the Official Albums Chart with his debut studio LP, Victory.

Proving just how close the race is at this stage, Official Charts confirm there are currently just 200 chart units seperating Skindred, still at Number 1 with Smile, and Cian, with just three full days of tracking left in the chart week.

With literally everything still to play for between the two acts, their fate is now well and truly in the hands of their fans and UK chart fans. What makes this race extra exciting is that both Skindred and Cian Ducrot (despite coming from entirely different genres and careers) are attempting to claim their first-ever UK Number 1 album.

MORE: See where all of Cian Ducrot's singles have charted in the UK

In general, this caps off a year of extraordinary rise for Cian - who only received his first entry on the Official Singles Chart in April last year with the bracing, emotional ballad All For You.

Talking to Official Charts at the time - when All For You reached its Official Singles Chart peak of Number 19 - Cian told us that "I want you to know it's just not chance or luck. I've put a lot of work into this. People forget how much work goes into this."

First going viral on TikTok, All For You was helped to a Top 20 breakthrough thanks to a duet version of the single, remixed with vocals by English singer-songwriter Ella Henderson (although the version that charted remained Cian's purely solo version).

This was joined late last year by a second Top 40 single, I'll Be Waiting, which did one better, becoming Cian's highest-charting single to date, at Number 18.

Fans will have until 12am BST on Friday to support Cian or Skindred in the race for the UK's Number 1 album, with the result being revealed live by Jack Saunders on BBC Radio 1's Official Chart from 4pm.