Clock ticking for Geldof’s charity single ahead of X Factor debut

Bob Geldof has admitted that he is facing a logistical nightmare ahead of recording Band Aid 30’s new festive charity single before its scheduled premiere on The X Factor on Sunday night.

A star-studded line-up of artists, including Bono, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, Sinead O’Connor, and Coldplay’s Chris Martin, have been recruited to rerecord a new version of the Band Aid 1984 track ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ on Saturday.

Geldof said the lyrics of the original song, which he co-wrote with Midge Ure to raise money for the victims of the 1984 Ethiopian famine, have been altered to target the ebola crisis.