Doncaster actress Sheridan Smith and Gary Barlow launch bid for Christmas number one

The pair have joined forces for How Christmas is Supposed to Be, which is among the contenders for this year’s coveted Christmas number one spot.

The Take That star, whose album The Dream of Christmas follows on Friday, first met Sheridan backstage at the Royal Variety Performance last year.

Ten months on, Gary asked Sheridan to sing with him as part of his popular Crooner Sessions, with fantastic results.

He told The Sun: “Everyone loves Sheridan, don’t they? She’s a great ball of energy and a great laugh. She’s just wonderful — and is a great actress and singer.

“We met in the wings of the Blackpool Opera House last year, while waiting to go on for the Royal Variety Performance. She just said: ‘I’m a big fan, will you take my number and keep in touch?’

“So we swapped numbers and then when I wrote How Christmas Is Supposed To Be last year, I just thought of her immediately.

“The song is about a couple who have a falling-out, they can’t do things right, it looks like they might split up. The video needed a bit of acting so I thought Sheridan would be great. She had a listen to it then she was on the phone saying, ‘Yes, let’s do it’.”

Speaking about the album, he said: “We were all trying to make Christmas feel good last year.

“It was a really hard Christmas for so many because of the scenario we all found ourselves in. So to try and make things a bit special, I started writing these songs.

“I had never listened to those classic Christmas songs with the idea of singing them myself, but as this record evolved, so did my appreciation for these wonderful songs. It all started off as a bit of a dalliance in the studio and before I knew it, I had a whole album!”

The album also features duets with Aled Jones and The Puppini Sisters, and comes as standard 11-track and deluxe 15-track editions.

Watch the video HERE

LadBaby is the favourite to score another Christmas Number 1 this year with Greg The Sausage Roll; Santa's Little Helper.

UK Christmas Number 1 Single 2021 ~ UK Christmas Number 1 2021

4-6 LadBaby

11-10 Elton John and Ed Sheeran

10 Adele

16 Steve Steinman

16 The Lathums

18 ABBA

25 Mariah Carey

25 The Wanted

25 Gary Barlow and Sheridan Smith

33 Elton John and Dua Lipa

33 Darlene Love

33 Collabro

33 Wham!

40 Little Mix

40 Taylor Swift

40 Lola Young

50 Billie Eilish

50 Coldplay

50 Robbie Williams

50 Cliff Richard

50 George Ezra

50 Shakin' Stevens

50 Leona Lewis

50 The Pogues

50 Jesy Nelson

66 Sam Fender

66 Michael Buble

66 Westlife

66 Ava Max

66 Justin Bieber

66 Ariana Grande

100 Eminem

100 Harry Styles

100 Jason Derulo

100 Jess Glynne

100 Tom Grennan

100 Miley Cyrus

100 Mud

100 Liam Gallagher

100 Paloma Faith

100 Liam Payne