Wham! and Mariah Carey close gap on LadBaby's Food Aid for Christmas Number 1 2022

Could festive classics from Wham! or Mariah manage the coveted Christmas Number 1 for the first time ever?

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Wham! and Mariah Carey begin to close the gap on LadBaby for 2022's Christmas Number 1. 

According to the latest Official Charts Company data unveiled this morning, George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley's festive classic Last Christmas has narrowed the gap by more than 3,000 units overnight in the race to become the UK's Official Christmas Number 1 2022.

As it stands, a first ever Christmas Number 1 single for Wham! could feasibly be in sight if their current streaming momentum holds up. Last Christmas is now just 13,000 chart units behind LadBaby's Food Aid, having added a further 8,500 units overnight to LadBaby's 5,100. Plus with more streaming data to arrive later this week that could propel the duo even closer, it's shaping up to be an exciting festive chart battle.

Queen of Christmas Mariah Carey is also firmly in with a shot at her first Christmas Number 1 victory, currently in third place just a little over 600 units behind Wham! 

This means that while LadBaby are still in the lead for a record-breaking fifth consecutive Official Christmas Number 1 right now, that might all change as the race ticks on. Could a midweek upset be on its way?

MORE: See every Christmas Number 1 ever.

In fourth place is Merry Christmas by Ed Sheeran and Elton John (4). 

MORE: The Official Christmas Number 1 2022 contenders

Still growing, unlikely contender Stormzy is also looking to break into the Top 5 with the tender ballad Firebabe (5), while RAYE's experimental hit Escapism. begins to claw its way back up the chart this week, up one on yesterday (6) and Central Cee's surprise new track Let It Go seeks to debut just outside the Top 10 (11). 

Further down the chart, The K**ts' anarchic F*ck The Tories does drop down since yesterday's Official Chart First Look, but is still eyeing a Top 20 debut (19), while YouTube group The Sidemen shouldn't be discounted yet either, rising a further six places overnight with their viral single Christmas Drillings (28).

With four full days of tracking left until the Christmas Number 1 is decided, it's far from over yet. Keep your eyes peeled on OfficialCharts.com and our socials for more updates and exclusive Christmas Number 1 news this week, and remember that the most important Number 1 of the year is ultimately decided by you - so keep streaming, buying and downloading your favourite singles up until 23.59pm Thursday to make your vote count.

The 2022 Official Christmas Number 1 will be announced on Friday, December 23. The full Christmas Top 40 will be counted down on BBC Radio 1's Official Chart Show with Jack Saunders from 4pm.

The full Top 100 Official Christmas Singles Chart and Albums Chart will be published on OfficialCharts.com from 5.45pm.

NOW check out every Christmas Number 1 single ever:

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Paul Mount

0

Seriously, it doesn't matter. "Tracking streams" to establish a hit is as dull and unexciting as most of the music being tracked and streamed.

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Jez

0

Xmas charts are so boring with same songs every year: roll on the new year’s chart

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Blank

1

13000 still seems like an insurmountable gap to close.

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Bason224

4

If Wham! did 3400 more than Ladbaby yesterday, and there's 4 more days at that pace, Wham! would finish 600 units ahead. There's a real chance there!

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Blank

0

Let's hope so. If anything, Wham! progress seems to be accelerating, based on that data.

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Bason224

1

Exactly, I think Wham! and Mariah (maybe even Ed/Elton?) will overtake, it just depends if Ladbaby has another version of the song to release with another big marketing push.