Sam Ryder delighted crowds of shoppers in Hampshire and Bournemouth in his bid to get the Christmas number one.

The Eurovision star busked in Commercial Road, Portsmouth, and Bournemouth yesterday, singing his festive hit You're Christmas To Me.

He told onlookers: “We are in the tightest race for Christmas number one since the Darkness versus Mad World.

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“It was an injustice that Darkness got number two, let’s not repeat it, we have the power.”

Sam's Christmas song has already reached number 10 in the charts, but the single - released exclusively on Amazon - is locked in a fight with festive veterans Wham! and their perennial classic Last Christmas for this week's coveted top spot.

Ryder soared to fame after finishing second at the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest and has been taking on the challenge of doing 26 performances across the country in just six days to promote his song.

The powerhouse vocalist was also spotted in the Christmas market in Bournemouth yesterday which he announced on social media just two hours prior to the performance.

Ryder described his Bournemouth showing as “the best one” he had done.

Hopeful of beating Wham to Christmas number one, Sam added: “Let’s do it together with our big optimistic boots on.

“It’s time for a new Christmas song, while also loving and respecting the old ones that got us here.”