Christmas number one: Duo bid for first vegan festive chart-topper
Two musicians are hoping to achieve the first "vegan Christmas number one" with a song urging compassion for animals.
Gavin Chappell-Bates, from Cambridge, and Giles Bryant, from Clare, Suffolk, have recorded Peace on Your Plate. They hope their song will succeed last year's festive chart-topper, We Built This City on Sausage Rolls by LadBaby. Mr Bryant said: "It's about peace to people and all living creatures and that's what Christmas should be about; primarily love and goodwill." The idea for the song came from Mr Chappell-Bates, who said: "I couldn't stop thinking about what it would feel like to wake up on Christmas Day, turn on the radio and to hear the song that is top of the charts being about peace to all creatures on Earth." The song was recorded at Abbey Road studios with producers who have previously worked with Ed Sheeran and Kylie Minogue. 'Bunch of hippies' The pair invited vegan musicians from across the world to collaborate on the record, which will be released on 13 December. It currently has odds of 25-1 to reach the festive top spot, the same as Elton John and Michael Buble. Its lyrics include: "Children are playing by the fireside, there's magic at yuletide. But in a distant land it's a different scene, in a factory shed the animals scream." The duo, also called Peace On Your Plate, said the song was not aimed at trying to make people become vegan. "We're just a bunch of hippies from East Anglia just doing our best," said Mr Bryant. All proceeds from sales of the song will support vegan campaigning charity Viva! and Tower Hill Stables Animal Sanctuary. Current joint-favourites for the Christmas number one spot are Robbie Williams and Lewis Capaldi.