Kylie Minogue has ended Wham!’s run at the top.

Kylie Minogue has ended Wham!’s run at the top (Image: Official Charts)

Kylie Minogue has celebrated her first UK Christmas number one single, with her festive hit XMAS topping the charts and ending Wham!’s two-year reign at the top. The announcement was made live on BBC Radio 1, confirming that Kylie had beaten off fierce competition to secure the coveted festive crown. The result marks a major moment in her chart history and cements her status as one of Britain’s most enduring pop stars.

The Official Charts Company confirmed the result after calculating combined sales and streaming figures from December 12 to December 18. The win gives Kylie her eighth UK Number One single and makes her the only female artist to have achieved a number one across four different decades. Reacting to the news, Kylie said: “It’s hard to put into words how special this feels. Being Christmas Number One really is the most wonderful gift! I’m so thankful to everyone who’s been listening and sharing the love and I’m wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!”

Kylie has beaten off fierce competition to secure the coveted festive crown (Image: Getty)

The Australian pop star’s victory brings Wham!’s run to an end after Last Christmas dominated the festive chart for two consecutive years. This year, however, it was Kylie’s upbeat track XMAS that resonated most with listeners.

The song arrives 25 years after her iconic festive cover Santa Baby and has gained momentum thanks to its feel-good sound and a viral YMCA-style dance that took off online in the run-up to Christmas.

The race for Christmas Number One was one of the most unpredictable in years, with several high-profile contenders in the mix. Wham! once again featured strongly, while Loose Women star Denise Welch released Slayyy Bells in a bid for the top spot. Charity single Lullaby, from Together For Palestine, also charted during the festive week.

The Official Charts Company also flagged a number of non-traditional festive tracks as potential challengers. These included Raye’s Where Is My Husband, which surged in popularity on TikTok, Olivia Dean’s So Easy and Man I Need, as well as Taylor Swift’s The Fate Of Ophelia and Opalite.

Kylie’s success also marks another milestone, with XMAS becoming the first Amazon Music Number One to go on and top the Official Singles Chart, highlighting the growing influence of streaming platforms in the festive chart race.

The Christmas Number One has been a key moment in British pop culture since 1952, when Al Martino topped the chart with Here In My Heart.

Over the decades, the festive crown has been claimed by legendary acts including The Beatles, Slade, Band Aid and the Spice Girls.

In more recent years, LadBaby dominated the charts between 2018 and 2022 with a run of novelty hits, before Wham! reclaimed the title for two straight years.

This Christmas, however, the crown belongs to Kylie Minogue. With XMAS topping the charts and another historic record secured, she has added one more glittering achievement to an already remarkable career — and delivered the UK’s official festive anthem for 2025.