LadBaby and Martin Lewis rework Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas

YouTube stars LadBaby have unveiled plans to score an unprecedented fifth Christmas number one single in a row.

The duo, Mark and Roxanne Hoyle, will cover Band Aid's 1984 hit Do They Know It's Christmas to raise money for those affected by the cost of living crisis.

They will be joined by finance expert Martin Lewis and "icons from the music industry", who are yet-to-be revealed.

"I don't think everyone is ready for Martin Lewis's singing voice," Mark told BBC News. "He puts me to shame".

Proceeds from the song will be shared equally between food bank charity The Trussell Trust and the Band Aid foundation.

LadBaby made chart history last year when their collaboration with Ed Sheeran and Sir Elton John, Sausage Rolls For Everyone, became their fourth consecutive UK Christmas number one.

The Nottinghamshire couple first topped the chart in 2018 with We Built This City, a cover of Starship's 1985 hit; followed by 2019's I Love Sausage Rolls, their take on The Arrows/Joan Jett's I Love Rock 'n' Roll; and 2020's Don't Stop Me Eatin', a cheeky version of Journey's power ballad Don't Stop Believin'.

They are currently tied with the Beatles as the act with the most festive chart-toppers overall - but the Fab Four only managed three consecutive years at the top, with their run broken by Tom Jones' Green, Green Grass of Home in 1966.

"We never intended to release a fifth Christmas single but as ambassadors of the Trussell Trust we were not prepared to sit back and do nothing in a year when people are struggling more than ever," Mark and Roxanne said in a statement.

They approached Bob Geldof and Midge Ure (the original writers of Do They Know It's Christmas) to ask for permission six months ago.

"I wasn't as difficult as people might think," said Mark.

"Bob said he was excited to see what we were going to do, and they've approved everything - all the lyrics we wrote, the music video, who we got involved. Everything."

The single is available for pre-order now and will be released on 16 December, with hopes of topping the Christmas countdown the following Friday.

It will face competition from perennial favourites like Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas Is You and Wham's Last Christmas, but bookmakers have already made LadBaby the favourites.

"Come on, we can beat Mariah Carey," said Mark. "We've done it before".

Lewis said he was amazed to have been approached for help.

"I thought they'd confused me with someone else," he said. "The nearest I've ever got to thinking about a Christmas number one is going to the loo on Boxing Day after too much orange juice the day before.

"Yet once I knew they were serious, and it was for the Trussell Trust, a hugely important charity I've a history with, I decided to give it a go, and do it with gusto."

Mark said he had approached the money-saving expert because "he knows more than most how to help people in this country".

He added that Lewis "has got more raw sex appeal than Ed Sheeran and more legendary status than Elton John".

The charity says the cost of living crisis has placed increased pressure on food banks around the UK.

More emergency food parcels were given out between April and September than ever before - 1.3 million in total, an increase of 52% compared with the same period in 2019.

One in five people referred to the charity's food banks are in working households, it added.