Spiller star slams Posh campaign

Sophie Ellis-Bextor and DJ Spiller face a fight to the finish

By BBC News Online's Chris Charles

Spiller vocalist Sophie Ellis-Bextor has slammed chart rival Victoria Beckham's 'underhand' campaign to try and capture the number one spot.

As the battle between the two artists enters the final straight - with very little to choose between them - Ellis-Bextor has accused Posh Spice and her team of using every trick in the book.

Speaking to BBC News Online, she said they had stopped short of bulk-buying copies of Out Of Your Mind - but only just.

Ellis-Bextor has accused Beckham of an "underhand" campaign

And she admitted that although she would be delighted if Groovejet (If This Ain't Love) topped the charts, it had not become an obsession.

The midweek chart put Out Of Your Mind - which also features Truesteppers and Dane Bowers - ahead by just 600 copies, with both artists selling in excess of 100,000 in the first three days of release.

But Ellis-Bextor does not appear to be as concerned as her rival about the final outcome.

"For someone who is supposedly interested only in the music, she [Beckham] is doing an awful lot of promotion," the singer observed.

"Some of the tactics they have employed are probably a little underhand.

"They may not be buying up thousands of copies of the CD from record shops, but they have been making fans buy the single before signing it."

In a reference to the record store visits with husband David Beckham, Ellis-Bextor quipped: "I can't think of anything my boyfriend would like less than me dragging him around the shops!"

Ridiculously close

The 21-year-old singer, who found fame fronting London-based band Theaudience, described the battle between the two songs as "ridiculously close" and admitted it was getting a little tiresome.

Reaffirming her earlier claim that it would be just as easy for her and Beckham to "have an arm wrestle or flip a coin" to decide the outcome, she stressed: "Things are quite calm in our camp.

"I'm really pleased with the song - I've listened to it so many times and I'm still not sick of it - I think it's a song that people will still be listening to at the end of the summer and through the winter."

Ellis-Bextor added that if Posh were to beat her to the number one spot, she hoped she did it "with conviction".

"It would be a shame having done all that hard work if only came down to 100 copies or so."

Silent prayer: Posh Spice is hoping for a number one on Sunday

Simon Winter of the HMV retail chain admitted the race was too close to call.

"It's still neck and neck, with Truesteppers slightly ahead of Spiller, but Saturday is the busiest day for record sales."

Despite Beckham's current lead, Watkin said his money was on Spiller to spoil her party.

"If I had to stick my neck out, I would have to plump for Spiller," he admitted.

Beckham's fellow Spice Girl Melanie C is currently at the top of the chart with I Turn To You.