In the (other) red corner: an actress, writer, Loose Woman and all-round hun with her own Top 40 single to boot.
This Christmas, Denise Welch takes on Kylie, Mariah Carey and even her actual firstborn son – The 1975‘s Matty Healy – in an unrelenting bid to clinch the festive crown.
In collaboration with Celebrations (the staple seasonal snack serving as a perfectly viable breakfast throughout December), Denise unleashes Slayyy Bells: a hyperpop bop aiming to end WHAM!’s two-year reign atop that coveted Christmas chart.
Today, we catch up with Denise (who’s currently over in the ‘unbelievably hot’ Grand Caymen, because of course) to talk fighting festive faves, nabbing a Number 1 single before The 1975 and why the money just hasn’t been right for a Charli xcx collab…yet.
MORE: Meet your Official Christmas Number 1 2025 contenders
Hi, hun! Firstly, thank you for getting us right into the Christmas spirit…
I’m in Grand Cayman. It’s unbelievably hot here, and almost impossible to feel like it’s Christmas.
Well back home the hype’s palpable, Denise. You’re up there in the Christmas Number 1 conversation with Kylie, Mariah…
I find it so hysterical. People keep sending me all these clips and bits from magazines. Never in a million years did I think there’d be Kylie Minogue and Mariah Carey, all of these people, and then me at the end.
Especially when it’s Kylie and me both flanking the rest of them, both in red rubber!
That wasn’t on my bingo card, nor was it on the bingo card of my children.
We assume they’re in full support of your Christmas Number 1 bid, though?
I’ve put them through a lot over the years, and when your mum is three years off 70, you don’t think she’s going to be vying for Number 1 in red rubber!
They think it’s hysterical. When I said to Matty ‘I’m going to be doing an interview with Official Charts,’ those are words that my super famous, rock star son probably never thought he’d hear.
What did Matty say, then?
He said ‘That’s great! That’s great, mum!’ It’s ridiculous, but it’s all great fun.
If you do it, you’ll get our famous Official Number 1 Single Award. Matty’s got a couple of those already…
Funny thing is, Matty’s had several Number 1 albums, but never a Number 1 single. I might pip the family charts, you know?
Maybe he’s secretly quite worried.
As he should be. That’s fighting talk if ever we’ve heard it! Speaking of – you’ve found yourself going up against Kylie and Mariah for the top spot. How do you rate your chances?
Kylie’s stealing my look, you know? I was in the in the red rubber before Kylie did it. I think she got a photo of me and got a stylist straight onto it.
And Mariah? She’s pretending to play it a bit cool, pretending that she hasn’t heard Slayyy Bells, but I know from a secret source that she has.
MORE: Every Official Christmas Number 1 single ever
Now this isn’t your first flirtation with the Official Chart, is it? You scored a Number 23 hit back in ’95 with your cover of You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me.
This time, though, you’ve pivoted into hyperpop. What sparked the genre shift?
Yeah, that was November 1995. How amazing would it be to go higher than Number 23 in the charts with Slayyy Bells?
I know lots of cool pop stars and I felt that I wanted to rival Charli xcx and Sabrina Carpenter. I thought 2025 Denise would be a little more…rappy.
I could have spoiled people with my voice, of course, but I held back because you never know – the next single might have a b-side. I might flip the genre again, who knows?
That’s the beauty of the industry these days, hun. Experimentation is applauded.
And it’s the beauty of my versatility.
Exactly. Slayyy Bells really is proof you should’ve been a feature on Charli’s BRAT remix album.
It depends how much they offer me. One of my managers is on the line. Obviously the money would have to be run through them, but get in get in the queue!
It’s round the block, hun. And finally, Denise, in all seriousness, how would you celebrate a Christmas Number 1 on December 19?
I would actually, literally, can I say poo myself? As it would be exciting and wonderful, it’s not a song that I ever planned to sing out loud! It was done in a studio in an incredibly short space of time for the Celebrations advert.
I’m doing Scott Mills’ BBC Radio 2 show on the 19th! Maybe they know something I don’t?
WATCH Denise Welch’s Christmas Number 1 bid Slayyy Bells:
Denise Welch’s Slayyy Bells – a huntastic collaboration with Celebrations – is out now.
When will the Official Christmas Number 1 single 2025 be announced?
The Official Christmas Number 1 race 2024 kicks off Friday December 12 with sales and streams counting up until midnight (11.59pm) on Thursday, December 18.
Tune in to The Official Chart on BBC Radio 1 on Friday December 19 from 4pm to hear the Christmas Top 40 countdown and the exclusive reveal of the Official Christmas Number 1 2024.
The full Top 100 Official Christmas Singles Chart and Albums Chart will be published on OfficialCharts.com from 5.45pm.
Join the conversation now using the hashtag #XmasNo1. For all the latest race updates join the Official Charts mailing list for Breaking News on this year’s race and beyond. Follow @OfficialCharts on Instagram, X and Facebook, TikTok, Threads and Bluesky.Â
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