Bradley Walsh outsells Zayn to have biggest debut album of 2016

If you were asked to guess which British act had the biggest selling debut album of the year, who would you pick?

Zayn Malik. Picture: Wikimedia

Zayn Malik, the One Direction defector? Blossoms, the indie band whose album went straight to number one in its first week of release? Good picks,

but they’re way off the mark. Actually the winner of the prize is Bradley Walsh, the former Coronation Street actor and host of

The Chase.

Bradley Walsh. Picture: ITV

Walsh, 56, decided to record an album of his favourite songs, mostly swing classics by artists like Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr,

because of the influence they had on him as a child. “I grew up listening to legends such as Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr and Tony Bennett,”

says Walsh. “From those early days I’ve always been a huge fan of this style of music and now to have the opportunity to record some of

the greatest songs and arrangements ever written, alongside a 54-piece orchestra and band, is absolutely thrilling.” Walsh told i, “Well,

I never expected that! A gold album, wow! It just goes to show that great songs live forever!” Take that, Zayn.

- This article originally published on i News