UK Christmas Number One 2025 Latest Odds and Betting Preview

We are extremely close to Father Christmas setting off on his journey around the world, so that means it’s time to start putting up your Christmas trees and draining your bank account on gifts and mulled wine.

One tradition that we are particularly excited about at Betting.co.uk is the race to the UK Christmas Number One. The odds are now open, and it is shaping up to be an interesting one.

With streaming now dominating the charts and social media able to propel a song up the top 40 out of nowhere, the race to Christmas Number One is now a very different beast.

2025 is already shaping up to be a unique year. Will Wham! make it a hat-trick of Christmas Number Ones and make history in the process? Last Christmas is a brilliant song and when it was first released it was only kept off top spot by Band Aid. Unfortunately, it took George Michael passing away to finally get it number one.

Kylie Minogue has released a Christmas banger and is pushing Wham all the way this year. Her song XMAS is a real toe-tapper and even has some dance moves that rival the Village People's YMCA.

Will HUNTR/X continue to gain viral traction and cause an upset? Could this be the year Mariah Carey finally does it? Let’s take a closer look at the UK Christmas Number One odds and find out.

Current Christmas Number One 2025 Betting Odds

Here are the current Christmas Number One 2025 betting odds from leading UK bookmakers.

• Wham! 1/3 - Betfred
• Kylie Minogue 6/4 - Betfred
• Together for Palestine 16/1 - Bet365
• Mariah Carey 20/1 - bet365
• The Pogues - 25/1 Betfred
• Justin Bieber - 25/1
• Taylor Swift 20/1 - Betfred
• Ed Sheeran 20/1 - Betfred
• Tiffany - 50/1 Ladbrokes
• Sabrina Carpenter - 20/1 Betfred
• KPop Demon Hunters - 28/1 Betfred
• HUNTR/X 50/1 - Ladbrokes

Which song is the favourite to claim Christmas Number One 2025?

Wham!, who claimed top spot in 2023 and 2024, are the current bookies' favourite to claim the crown again in 2025. Thirty-nine years after its initial release, ‘Last Christmas’ claimed the festive top spot for the first time in 2023. It then held onto the spot last year, and looks set to make it three years in a row, becoming the first song to ever do so. Betfred currently has the song priced at 10/11.

Kylie Minogue’s XMAS, released earlier this month, is currently the biggest challenger. Kylie has a loyal following and has never claimed a Christmas number one before. She is currently priced at 6/1 with Betfred, which would suggest the race is all but over already, but there is a chance the song picks up momentum as it creeps onto the radio over the coming weeks. We are definitely living in an age of nostalgia when it comes to Christmas hits, though, making it tough for a new song to claim the top spot.

HUNTR/X are our picks as outsiders to claim the spot. Their song ‘Golden’ has become a huge hit thanks to the success of the movie KPop Demon Hunters. The song has developed a following on social media, and its considerable Gen-Z popularity could see it rise up the charts if it continues to build momentum. It is currently available at 8/1 with bet365, which we think presents some value.

Mariah Carey’s iconic ‘I Don’t Want a Lot of Christmas’ is arguably the biggest Christmas hit to never get to the top of the charts. It will give it another go this year, but it is currently priced out at 12/1 with bet365, suggesting the wait is going to continue for the Queen of Christmas.

Other outsiders include Ed Sheeran and LadBaby, both of whom have had Christmas Number Ones in the last decade.

When is the Christmas Number One announced?

The official Christmas Number One 2025 will be announced live on BBC Radio 1 on Friday, December 19th. The charts will be announced on the Official Chart Show with Jack Saunders, which starts at 4pm and counts down the Christmas Top 40.