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Kylie Minogue has secured her first Christmas number one in the UK with her hit track XMAS.
The Australian pop star, 57, is the first solo female artist in 12 years to secure the coveted festive spot, after Sam Bailey with Skyscraper in 2013, according to The Official Charts Company.
Minogue has also become the first woman to have number one singles across four different decades.
Her success comes after two consecutive years in which Last Christmas by Wham! was top.
Minogue said it was “hard to put into words” how special it felt to lead the singles chart.
She said: “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.”
Her single – pronounced X-M-A-S – is accompanied by a music video that shows Minogue teaching a dance to a group of children and adults.
It also features a special appearance from Abba’s Bjorn Ulvaeus.
Xmas is followed in the singles chart by Last Christmas, with Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You at three.
Pic: AP
The top five is completed by Brenda Lee’s Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree at four and charity single Lullaby by Together For Palestine at number five – this week’s highest new entry.
Read more:
The recipe for a Christmas number one
Wham! make chart history
Kylie has previously topped the singles chart on seven other occasions.
Her other bestselling songs were I Should Be So Lucky (1988), Especially For You (1988), Hand On Your Heart (1989), Tears On My Pillow (1990), Spinning Around (2000), Can’t Get You Out Of My Head (2001) and Slow (2003).
Martin Talbot, chief executive of the Official Charts Company, said Minogue may now be placed to challenge Mariah Carey as the “queen of Christmas”.
He said: “Congratulations to Kylie – what an amazing achievement by our adopted national treasure.”
The last Australian artist to earn the Christmas number one title was Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman, who collaborated with Robbie Williams on Somethin’ Stupid in 2001.
