The race for this year's Christmas No1 has taken an unexpected turn, with Taylor Swift and Denise Welch now in direct competition for the festive crown.
The US pop superstar and Loose Women panellist are both vying for the coveted top spot, adding a fresh twist to their already complicated connection.
Ms Swift, 35, who released her twelfth studio album The Life Of A Showgirl in October, has two tracks in contention: Opalite and Elizabeth Taylor.
Meanwhile, Welch, 67, has entered the race with her festive single Slayyy Bells.
Taylor Swift and Matty Healy dated publicly for about a month in May to June 2023
|British Vogue
Their chart battle is particularly notable because of their shared history through Matty Healy, frontman of The 1975 and Welch’s son, who briefly dated Swift in 2023.
During the short-lived romance, Ms Welch publicly supported the pairing and even posed for selfies with Swift. However, her tone shifted after the relationship ended.
Speaking on Andy Cohen’s podcast this summer, Ms Welch admitted: “Not being her mother-in-law is a role that I'm glad that I lost.”
She also expressed frustration about the aftermath, saying: “Not that I have anything against her at all. It was just, you know, it was tricky.
Denise Welch is a contender for the 2025 Christmas number one with her hyperpop single "Slayyy Bells", which was released in collaboration with Celebrations chocolates
PA
“But, listen, you're not allowed to say anything, but then she writes a whole album about it?”
Ms Swift’s 2024 album The Tortured Poets Department was widely interpreted as chronicling the 2023 romance, with tracks such as Guilty as Sin? and The Black Dog believed to contain references to Mr Healy.
Despite past tensions, both women are now firmly focused on the festive charts.
The Official Charts Company has flagged Opalite and Elizabeth Taylor as possible contenders, although neither track has yet reached number one.
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Taylor Swift's song "The Fate of Ophelia" is currently a top contender but bookmakers list Wham!'s "Last Christmas" as the favourite
|PA
Ms Welch’s offering Slayyy Bells has been dubbed the hyperpop Christmas banger of 2025, featuring playful lines like “we’re serving looks, not turkey” and “it’s time to put the slay in sleighbells”.
Writing on Instagram, Ms Welch told fans: “My message to you is, however you spend your holidays, have lots and lots of fun, hun.”
Novelty tracks have a strong history at Christmas, with LadBaby’s sausage-roll anthem We Built This City among past winners.
The Christmas number one race extends well beyond Swift and Welch, with Wicked stars Cynthia Erivo, 38, and Ariana Grande, 32, emerging as major contenders.
Their duet For Good from the upcoming sequel soundtrack is expected to perform strongly.
Meanwhile, McFly’s Tom Fletcher has penned a new version of One Of Us for Paddington The Musical, which bookmakers are already tipping as a favourite.
Children’s characters have claimed the top spot before — Mr Blobby in 1993 and Bob the Builder in 2000 with Can We Fix It?.
Other hopefuls this year include Raye’s Where Is My Husband!, Labrinth’s John Lewis soundtrack Where Love Lives, and festive releases from Kylie Minogue, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Pixie Lott.
Taylor Swift and Denise Welch pictured backstage at Matty Healey's The 1975's show
|Charity singles are also entering the race, including Lullaby by Together For Palestine and Home Care’s Got Talent’s rendition of Robbie Williams’ Angels.
Classic favourites could still surge late in the race, Wham!’s Last Christmas finally took the crown last year, while Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You and The Pogues’ Fairytale Of New York remain seasonal staples.
The competition officially begins on December 12th, 2025, with sales and streams counted until 11.59pm on Thursday, December 18.
The winner will be announced live on BBC Radio 1’s The Official Chart at 4pm on December 19, 2025.
Martin Talbot of the Official Charts Company said this year’s contenders represent “the most diverse field in years”, adding: “On your marks, get set, go!”
In contrast to the tensions between Ms Swift and her almost–mother-in-law, Ms Welch, the singer’s interactions with her fiancé Travis Kelce’s mother, Donna Kelce, have been notably warm, with the pair frequently pictured together at NFL games.
However, a minor online debate occurred in September 2025 after Ms Kelce accidentally reposted a comedian's video on Instagram that joked about Ms Swift's “aching uterus” and desire to “breed” with Travis.
While many users defended it as an accidental mistake by someone unfamiliar with a new Instagram feature, some Ms Swift fans felt the topic was too personal to be publicly shared by a potential future mother-in-law.
Other fan discussions have revolved around comments Ms Kelce and her sons made on their podcast about putting “pressure” on Travis to have children, which some fans found insensitive.
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