Christmas number one odds and holiday specials markets: Wham! getting ready for festive double

Whamageddon is the annual game many people play of trying to avoid the classic festive hit Last Christmas throughout December, but when it comes to the Christmas number one record it could be a case of Whamagain this year.

The Wham! favourite was kept off top spot in 1984 by the charity record Do They Know It's Christmas? by Band Aid, but topped the charts last year after a 39-year wait.

The George Michael-penned tune was also number one in the midweek chart this year and is 1-5 with Betfair and Paddy Power to repeat the feat on Sunday, the last chart before Christmas Day.

The choice for punters appears to be Wham! or Grennan. British rocker Tom Grennan is just 4,000 sales behind after two days of sales with his song It Can’t Be Christmas, which was number six last week and climbed four places in the midweek update. He is best-priced at 10-1 but as short as 6-1.

Also in the hunt is another festive perennial in Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas Is You, which is a 20-1 chance but third in the midweek list. 

The most-watched Christmas Day TV show looks destined to be the long-awaited return of BBC comedy Gavin & Stacey, which is 1-14 with Coral and Ladbrokes. 

The only possible danger looks be the King's speech. The King's second address as monarch topped the ratings last year, but nine of the top ten in 2023 were BBC shows so the return of Gavin, Stacey, Smithy, Nessa and Uncle Bryn looks in prime position to win this time.

There are several other markets available on the King's broadcast. Hills offer 5-6 that it contains over or under 627.5 words – last year's came in at 623 – while it's 8-11 that the broadcast lasts between five minutes one second and five minutes 59 seconds, 5-2 for five minutes or less and 5-2 for six minutes or more.

The Met Office says it's still just too early to forecast Christmas Day weather accurately, but with double-figure temperatures expected at the weekend and early next week, prices as short as evens (Aberdeen) for a White Christmas may not be popular. It's 7-4 for snow in Newcastle next Wednesday and 8-1 for snowfall in London.

Christmas number one best odds: 1-5 Wham! (Betfair, Paddy Power), 10 Tom Grennan (general), 20 Mariah Carey (bet365), 22 bar.
Christmas Day most watched UK TV show best odds: 1-14 Gavin and Stacey (Coral, Ladbrokes), 9 The King's Speech (Hills), 12 Wallace & Gromit (Coral, Ladbrokes), 16 Strictly Christmas Special (Hills), 25 bar.

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