The live final will take place on 15 December, which is the start of the sales period for the Christmas number one week, with the winner’s single set to go on sale immediately after the show finishes airing on ITV1.
X Factor, which celebrates its 10th anniversary year, has dominated the Christmas singles market during its history. The show’s contestants have been responsible for the five of the last eight Christmas number ones.
Shayne Ward, who won Series Two of the show, scored the 2005 festive number one with That's My Goal. 2006 winner Leona Lewis, 2007 winner Leon Jackson and 2008 winner Alexandra Burke all went on to claim the festive top spot for their respective years.
In 2009 Joe McElderry became the first X Factor contestant to lose the Christmas number one race. His cover of Miley Cyrus’ The Climb was kept off the summit thanks to a social media campaign to get Rage Against The Machine’s 1993 single, Killing In The Name, to number one.
It was organised by husband and wife team Jon and Tracy Morter as a protest over X Factor creator Simon Cowell’s perceived monopoly of the Christmas singles market.
Other 2013 Christmas number one contenders include: 11-year-old choirboy Jack Topping with Tomorrow (from the musical Annie); Britain’s Got Talent finalists Richard & Adam with I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In (On Christmas Day); Susan Boyle and Elvis Presley's O Come, All Ye Faithful; and Lily Allen’s cover of Keane’s Somewhere Only We Know for the John Lewis Christmas TV advert.
X Factor, which celebrates its 10th anniversary year, has dominated the Christmas singles market during its history. The show’s contestants have been responsible for the five of the last eight Christmas number ones.
Shayne Ward, who won Series Two of the show, scored the 2005 festive number one with That's My Goal. 2006 winner Leona Lewis, 2007 winner Leon Jackson and 2008 winner Alexandra Burke all went on to claim the festive top spot for their respective years.
In 2009 Joe McElderry became the first X Factor contestant to lose the Christmas number one race. His cover of Miley Cyrus’ The Climb was kept off the summit thanks to a social media campaign to get Rage Against The Machine’s 1993 single, Killing In The Name, to number one.
It was organised by husband and wife team Jon and Tracy Morter as a protest over X Factor creator Simon Cowell’s perceived monopoly of the Christmas singles market.
Other 2013 Christmas number one contenders include: 11-year-old choirboy Jack Topping with Tomorrow (from the musical Annie); Britain’s Got Talent finalists Richard & Adam with I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In (On Christmas Day); Susan Boyle and Elvis Presley's O Come, All Ye Faithful; and Lily Allen’s cover of Keane’s Somewhere Only We Know for the John Lewis Christmas TV advert.
