LONDON--Betting on which artist will have the No. 1 single at Christmas has been a tradition in Britain for years. It’s a ritual right up there with pulling Christmas crackers and eating Christmas pudding.

This year the odds (as of 12/13) are on Westlife [ tickets ] to have the No. 1 hit over Christmas, followed closely by children’s television show character Bob the Builder, Eminem [ tickets ], former Big Brother television show contestant Craig Phillips, and the Sugar Babes also have a shot at the top spot on the charts.

Westlife has been one of the biggest sellers in the U.K. in 2000. The Irish boy band’s second album, “Coast to Coast,” went to No. 1 when it debuted, as did all three singles released by the group this year. In fact, Westlife had last year’s Christmas No. 1 with the double A-side “I Have A Dream/Seasons in the Sun.”

This year’s Christmas chart offering from Westlife, “What Makes a Man,” was released on Dec. 18. British bookmakers Ladbroke’s is currently pegging odds at 1:2 that the single will be at No. 1 on Christmas day. If “What Makes a Man” does go to No. 1, it will add to Westlife’s U.K. charts record of seven No. 1 singles hits in a row.

But Westlake has tough competition for the top chart spot. Children’s show hero Bob the Builder, whose song “Can We Fix It” is at No. 2 on the U.K. singles chart after its first week of release (12/10), and odds are currently at 6:4.

And although Eminem’s latest release “Stan” is currently at No. 1 on the singles chart, Ladbroke’s has reported that Bob the Builder is out-selling Eminem in this week’s chart race, and could claim the No. 1 spot on Sunday (12/17). Odds on “Stan,” Eminem’s track about a deranged fan, are 12:1 and have risen from last week’s odds of 6:1.

Trailing the top 3 contenders for this year’s top Christmas hit are Big Brother star Craig Phillips and London Records act the Sugar Babes at 20:1; Robbie Williams [ tickets ] at 25:1 and Rui De Silva and the Spice Girls at 33:1. A host of other artists--including Britney Spears, Ricky Martin, Craig David, and Christina Aguilera--are offered at 50:1.

The current odds on the UK’s No. 1 Christmas single from Ladbrokes are:

1:2 Westlife

6:4 Bob The Builder

12:1 Eminem

20:1 Craig Phillips (Big Brother), Sugar Babes

25:1 Robbie Williams

33:1 Rui De Silva, Spice Girls

50:1 Ricky Martin, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Craig David, Daft Punk, Geri Halliwell, Five, Kylie Minogue, Madonna, Mel C, Oxide & Neutrino, Ronan Keating, S Club 7, Steps, The Beatles, The Tweenies, The Wombles.

Past U.K. No. 1 Christmas singles

Who else has been to the top of the Christmas chart besides Westlife? The Beatles were the first group with “I Want To Hold Your Hand” in 1963. The Fab Four reigned supreme through 1965, but their winning streak was interrupted by Tom Jones’ “Green Green Grass of Home” in 1966. Since then, there have been many humorous entries in the annual Yuletide race, with even the likes of popular children’s character Mr Blobby making it to No. 1. Besides the Beatles, other Christmas charts veterans who have come back more than once include Queen and the Spice Girls.

1999 - Westlife - “I Have A Dream/Seasons In the Sun”
1998 - Spice Girls - “Goodbye”1997 - Spice Girls - “Too Much”
1996 - Spice Girls - 2 Become 1
1995 - Michael Jackson - “Earth Song”
1994 - East 17 - “Stay Another Day”
1993 - Mr Blobby - “Mr Blobby”
1992 - Whitney Houston - “I Will Always Love You”
1991 - Queen - “Bohemian Rhapsody/These Are The Days”
1990 - Cliff Richard - “Saviour's Day”
1989 - Band Aid II “Do They Know It's Christmas?”
1988 - Cliff Richard - “Mistletoe And Wine”
1987 - Pet Shop Boys - “Always On My Mind”
1986 - Jackie Wilson - “Reet Petite”
1985 - Shakin' Stevens - “Merry Christmas Everyone”
1984 - Band Aid - “Do They Know It's Christmas?”
1983 - Flying Pickets - “Only You”
1982 - Renee And Renato - “Save Your Love”
1981 - Human League - “Don't You Want Me”
1980 - St. Winifred's Choir - “No-One Quite Like Grandma”
1979 - Pink Floyd - “Another Brick In The Wall”
1978 - Boney M - “Mary's Boy Child - Oh My Lord”
1977 - Wings - “Mull Of Kintyre/Girl's School”
1976 - Johnny Mathis - “When A Child Is Born”
1975 - Queen - “Bohemian Rhapsody”
1974 - MUD - “Lonely This Christmas”
1973 - Slade - “Merry Christmas Everybody”
1972 - Little Jimmy Osmond - “Long Haired Lover From Liverpool”
1971 - Benny Hill - “Ernie”
1970 - Dave Edmunds - “I Hear You Knocking”
1969 - Rolf Harris - “Two Little Boys”
1968 - Scaffold - “Lily The Pink”
1967 - Beatles - “Hello Goodbye”
1966 - Tom Jones - “Green Green Grass Of Home”
1965 - Beatles - “Day Tripper/We Can Work It Out”
1964 - Beatles - “I Feel Fine”
1963 - Beatles - “I Want To Hold Your Hand”