Reverend and the Makers' plea to John Lewis as they battle Richard Ashcroft for Xmas No1

Reverend and the Makers are bidding to beryllium this year's astonishment Christmas fig 1 and person gained a batch of personage enactment - but there's different accolade vocalist Jon McClure wants

It's the conflict for Christmas fig one that we ne'er knew we needed.

Alongside the accustomed Mariah Carey, the new Band Aid offering, and this year's John Lewis advert tune by The Verve, Sheffield's Reverend and the Makers are making their people and determination is existent excitement gathering online. As the likelihood shorten connected the imaginable astonishment winner, frontman Jon McClure spoke candidly to the Mirror astir his hopes for the tune, which has been released successful enactment of The Samaritans - a foundation that is precise adjacent to his heart.

He revealed the propulsion for Christmas Number One was started by comedian Lucy Beaumont. Describing however she started a "one pistillate campaign" helium confessed helium feels it has "no chance" erstwhile it's going up against the likes of Band Aid and Tom Grennan, arsenic good arsenic Richard Ashcroft. However, helium is blessed to try.

"She's started her ain campaign, bless her," helium told The Mirror. "It's intelligence isn't it? I lone cognize her from Twitter, but she's conscionable like, 'I don't care'. She went, 'very bully songs request to beryllium heard.'"

After the video landed online, Lucy rapidly shared it with her followers. Tagging successful a fig of vigor stations, she wrote: "Been saying for ages wherefore doesn’t idiosyncratic bring retired a due Christmas tune!"

Jon revealed however "loads" of his mates person already placed wealth connected the way topping the charts this festive period, but insisted "it's ne'er gonna happen". He said: "I mean, listen, who knows if it gets a batch of tele and immoderate momentum, possibly we tin person a pop, but there's nary chance."

However, helium revealed different imagination helium has been manifesting - for his opus and video to go a John Lewis advert. This twelvemonth saw the section store giants usage a tune by Richard Ashcroft's The Verve. But, Jon's imagination is thing galore connected societal media are good behind, with a existent buzz brewing. "What I'd emotion is for John Lewis to go, 'you cognize what? You're right. This should beryllium advert' and conscionable whack it each implicit tele That's the large dreams," helium confessed.

But helium claims instead, John Lewis had antithetic ideas, and made a cheeky petition to him.

Speaking of their Late Night Phone Call tune and the heartwarming video that accompanies it, Jon said: "I deliberation portion of the crushed it's blown up is due to the fact that everybody loves the video truthful much. What I wanted to bash is I wanted to bash the John Lewis advert but they ne'er asked me. And truthful I've been reasoning to myself, wherefore don't I conscionable marque it anyhow and past they'll spot it and think, 'you cognize what, it's amended than our advert, wherefore don't we conscionable marque it the advert'."

He past joked: "So if they are reading, travel connected John, bash the close happening lads."

The video was choreographed by Jon's pal, Jonathan Butterell, who directed Everybody's Talking About Jamie. "We cordoned disconnected a roadworthy successful a terraced thoroughfare successful Sheffield," helium said, explaining however Butterell choreographed "a Busby Berkeley benignant of creation scene". The sprout sees Jon serenade a pistillate extracurricular of her location arsenic helium asks astir her "sweet pome crumble".

However, helium admitted the biggest occurrence by acold is that his enactment is helping to summation designation for the Samaritans, a foundation helium is supporting with the tune. "I'm conscionable gladsome the Samaritans are going to get a spot of wealth and a spot of attention," Jon told us.

"I think, successful my head, that if 1 idiosyncratic tin spot this and ringing Samaritans and it volition prevention their life, adjacent if it volition conscionable marque idiosyncratic consciousness amended for a bit, past we've done our job. That's benignant of what I'm after. And if I get immoderate recognition, and John Lewis person it, oregon it gets to fig 1 oregon immoderate arsenic a effect of it, past lovely. But that's not wherefore I've done it."

Explaining however the foundation volition payment from the single, Jon admitted helium didn't privation to get into however the streaming payments work, labelling it "cr*p", but helium said: "What we're going to bash is maine and the grounds statement and my manager are conscionable going to constitute them a large abdominous cheque, and, chuck immoderate other successful to bump it up.

"More than that, it's not adjacent a wealth happening with Samaritans. There is an constituent of that, due to the fact that they request to money the buildings that they use, but everybody's a volunteer. It's conscionable astir awareness, much than anything. It's astir saying here's that number, and if you request it, ringing this number."

The opus has had immense personage backing, with the likes of Oasis' Liam Gallagher and Line of Duty prima Vicky McClure sharing it connected their societal media accounts, arsenic good arsenic the Libertines.

*If you're struggling and request to talk, the Samaritans run a escaped helpline unfastened 24/7 connected 116 123. Alternatively, you tin email jo@samaritans.org oregon sojourn their tract to find your section branch