The Wombles could notch up a surprise chart victory over Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and the stars of the X Factor – after odds on the eco-friendly pop group taking the Christmas No 1 spot were dramatically slashed.

Bookmaker William Hill has cut the odds of their festive track being the bestselling single in Britain this Christmas from 50-1 to 7-1.

The song Wombling Merry Christmas is set to do battle with efforts by Nirvana, Adele and the cast of reality TV show The Only Way is Essex. Bookies have made the winner of ITV singing contest the X Factor, which ends next month, favourite for the top spot.

Wimbledon Common pop group the Wombles – created by Mike Batt – had hits in the 1970s with songs including Remember You’re a Womble, and reformed to play Glastonbury earlier this year.


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