'Strictly' star Sergeant releases Christmas single

A charity single went on sale today aiming to take John Sergeant, the unlikely hero of 'Strictly Come Dancing', to the Christmas number one spot.

Having dazzled the nation with his dancing, the former political journalist has turned to singing, and his dulcet tones feature on 'Let's Not Fight This Christmas', which was commissioned by BBC1's 'The One Show' in an attempt to create the perfect Christmas single.

The song features sleigh bells, a children's choir and a chorus of the show's presenters, including Sergeant as well as hosts Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley.

It was written by Chris Difford, ex-frontman of pop group Squeeze, who had hits in the 1970s and 1980s with songs such as 'Cool for Cats' and 'Up The Junction'.

Proceeds from the track, which is available on download from today and in physical formats from Monday, will go to UK charity Children in Need.

But the single will face stiff competition from the likes of Leona Lewis, Aled Jones, Status Quo and this year's 'X Factor' winner if it wants to claim the coveted Christmas number one slot.

Sergeant quit 'Strictly Come Dancing' last month, saying: "There is now a real danger that I might win the competition. Even for me that would be a joke too far."

Despite receiving substantial criticism from the show's judges for the poor quality of his dancing, he was repeatedly saved by the public vote.