Eminem trounces Bob in chart battle

Eminem: His song about a psychopath proving popular

Controversial US rap star Eminem has beaten children's BBC favourite Bob the Builder to the number one spot in the UK singles chart.

Eminem's track Stan - about a psychopath who drives his car into a lake with his wife in the boot - beat off fierce competition from the animated hero's jovial Can We Fix It?

But some bookmakers believe Bob the Builder still stands a good chance of steaming ahead of Eminem in the race to become the Christmas chart-topper.

Bob the Builder: Hoping to fix it next week

William Hill give odds of 15-8 for Bob the Builder while Eminem is at 10-1.

Both are expected to bow to the pressure of boy band Westlife, however, when they release their new single What Makes a Man on 18 December.

It is not the first time Grammy award-winner Eminem has gone head-to head with an animated character.

In April last year, his single My Name was kept from the top spot in the British charts by yellow furry puppet Flat Eric's Flat Beat.

Both Bob the Builder's and Eminem's singles were released on 4 December.

Eminem was 7,000 sales ahead of his cartoon rival after the first day in the shops.

But Bob was thought to have a realistic chance of overtaking by the end of the week when young fans went out shopping with their parents.

His single is based on his famous catchphrase and sung by his narrator Neil Morrissey.

Bookmakers' predictions over the ultimate triumph of the song is based on Bob's TV show's huge popularity.

The 10-minute programme for pre-school children stars the cheerful and trustworthy Bob going about his business helped by his talking vehicles.

It has only been screened since April 1999, but has been a huge success for the BBC.

The series has spawned a wide range of hit spin-off merchandise for children.

To date, £60m worth of Bob the Builder toys, videos and tapes have been sold in Britain alone.