Their Syco-issued cover of Damien Rice's Cannonball sold 68,800 copies by the end of business on Monday to put it around 38,000 sales in front of its nearest challenger, according to Official Charts Company data. However, its sales in the week so far are fewer than the lead Cardle commanded day one for his own winner's single When We Collide a year ago.

Unusually, the X Factor winner's single has been released two weeks before the Christmas chart, which is ...