X Factor winner grabs Christmas No 1 spot

X FACTOR winner Matt Cardle was crowned king of the pop charts last night, when he soared to the top spot to claim the prized Christmas No 1.

The 27-year-old left competition from the anti-Simon Cowell camp trailing in his wake with his cover of the Biffy Clyro track When We Collide.

His version of the song by the Mercury Prize-nominated rock trio sold 439,000 copies in the six days following his victory on the ITV talent show, the Official Charts Company said.

This represented a record weekly total for a non-charity release this year and gave Cardle a lead of more than 300,000 over Rihanna Ft Drake's What's My Name, which finished in second place.

Cardle said his planned celebrations involved "one or two beers".

He went on: "I can't believe it. As if winning wasn't enough. I honestly didn't think I'd even make it on to the live shows, let alone win and now be the Christmas No 1.

"I can't even begin to describe how if feels. It's nuts, crackers and crazy. To think that many people have supported me and bought the record is absolutely mind-blowing."