Military wives set to beat Little Mix 20.12.11
13The Military Wives' single has become the fastest seller for six years and could hit the half-million mark by the end of the week, virtually guaranteeing it will be Christmas number one. It sold 242,000 copies on Sunday and Monday, according to Official Chart Company data. That is more than X Factor winners Little Mix sold in the whole of last week. Little Mix - seen as The Military Wives' biggest competition - has sold just 38,000 copies so far this week. The Official Charts Company said the sales tally is the biggest since Shayne Ward's That's My Goal in 2005, which sold 313,000. The single is in aid of The Royal British Legion and the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen Families Association. The Military Wives were giving their single, which was championed by BBC Radio 2's Chris Evans, an even greater push by launching it with a performance at HMV in Oxford Street. DJ Evans arrived in a military Jeep to hand out mince pies to the wives after they performed for shoppers outside the central London store. He said his listeners gave him no choice but to play the single, adding: "They watched the show and loved it and loved the record. "It's one of the best things I've ever been involved in. I'm so pleased for Gareth and for the girls." Malone said the song had caught the public imagination because it had been released at "a particular moment". He said: "This single has come at a time when we're thinking about Afghanistan, we've been there 10 years and the feeling for the armed services is really positive in the country at the moment." The choirmaster said the unexpected success of the single had surprised him. He said: "I'm going to go nuts with the champagne on Christmas Day. I had planned a really quiet Christmas but it's not going to be quiet."