'X Factor' champ awaiting chart verdict

'X Factor' winner Joe McElderry will today find out if he has come out on top in the battle for the UK Christmas number one single.

A campaign urging people to buy Rage Against The Machine’s 'Killing In The Name' is trying to break the television talent show’s run of festive number ones.

McElderry’s debut single 'The Climb' is now thought to be neck-and-neck with the band for today’s number one spot.

Despite predictions that talent show winner McElderry would storm ahead when his CD went on sale on Wednesday, the rap-metal act were still in front on Friday.

Retailers and record company Sony are likely to be rubbing their hands at the chart battle as the two tracks between them had sold approaching 500,000 copies by Friday, according to Official Charts Company data.

The last big Christmas battle anywhere near this scale was the Spice Girls’ 'Goodbye' and South Park character Chef’s 'Chocolate Salty Balls' in 1998. The Spice Girls won with 380,000 to their rival’s 375,000.