Bob builds up head of steam

Bob the Builder on course for Christmas number one

Bob the Builder looks on course to become the biggest selling single of the year and appears unstoppable in the race to take the Christmas number one spot.

The BBC One character's single, Can We Fix It?, is more than 42,000 copies ahead of its nearest rival, Westlife, with their song, What Makes A Man.

Bob's song, voiced by actor Neil Morrissey, has sold almost 600,000 copies.

The year's biggest seller so far, All Saint's Pure Shores, has sold 685,000 copies.

More than 50,000 copies of the single, which is currently number one, are being sold every day.

The Christmas number one is announced on 24 December on Radio 1.

Gennaro Castaldo, of HMV music stores, said: "The Christmas number one is almost Bob's for the taking.

Bookmakers' odds

"It's interesting that no single has actually sold over a million this year which underlines that sales aren't as big for singles as last year.

"On the other hand it's been a phenomenal year for albums, with 10 now going over the million mark in 2000."

Bookmakers William Hill have stopped taking money on the contest with Westlife just nosing ahead with odds of 4/6 and current number one Bob at 11/10.

All other contenders now seem out of the race, including third favourite Eminem and joint fourth place-holders Robbie Williams and Big Brother winner Craig Phillips.