The manner in which the album has performed has surprised industry observers, as has the news that on the basis of early sales projections for next week, the SuBo bandwagon is picking up speed again, with the album expected to sell a further 600,000 to record a third week at number one.

Boyle enjoyed a fairly comprehensive victory over Andrea Bocelli, who remains at number two for the fourth time in a row with his seasonal selection My Christmas, which ...