The shake-up also raises the possibility of the Beatles staging a chart comeback, following rumours that EMI is negotiating to release the band’s back catalogue as downloads for the first time.

Gennaro added: "If the Beatles’ songs were made available digitally, there would be such a rush to download them that a top 10 made up entirely of their music would be almost guaranteed."

Leona hits number one for Christmas - Dec 27 2006
X Factor winner Leona Lewis has bagged the coveted Christmas number one spot, knocking Take That off the prime position.

The 21-year-old’s debut single A Moment Like This was far and away the favourite to top the festive charts.

Take That’s comeback single Patience was pushed into the number two spot - and the veteran boyband may have even contributed to Lewis’s runaway success, after they sang with her in the X Factor final.

McFly’s hit Sorry’s Not Good Enough and Girls Aloud’s cover I Think We’re Alone Now entered the charts in third and fourth places respectively.

The Pogues’ classic Christmas anthem Fairytale of New York was up from 10 to the number six slot.

Meanwhile Sir Cliff Richard’s customary festive single - this year entitled 21st Century Christmas - dropped five places to number seven.

In the album charts, Take That kept the top spot with Beautiful World, leaving their boyband rivals Westlife in second position with The Love Album.

Leona congratulated by Whitney - Dec 22 2006
X Factor winner Leona Lewis was thrilled to receive a phone call from Whitney Houston congratulating her on winning the show.

Pop icon Whitney apparently became a fan of the 21-year-old songstress after a pal sent her tapes of the singing contest.

When she heard Leona had won, she called to say well done, reports the Daily Mirror.

"Whitney thought Leona was amazing and wished her luck," a source said.

Londoner Leona has also been in touch with American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson, whose hit, A Moment Like This, she has covered for her debut single. Kelly, who won the US contest in 2002, apparently told Leona she loved her version of the track.

The song looks set to be the Christmas No 1 after shifting a whopping 150,000 copies in its first day. Fans flocked to the shops to pick up a copy as soon as it hit the shelves on Wednesday. It had also sold 200,000 downloads before going on sale as a CD.

Leona to sign US contract? Dec 19 2006
X Factor winner Leona Lewis is reportedly about to fly out to the US to sign a £5 million contract across the pond.

The 21-year-old will jet out next Thursday to meet music exec Clive Davis, the man behind Whitney Houston, Dido and Angie Stone, reports the Daily Mirror.

She will be joined by Simon Cowell, her mentor on the show.

"Leona’s X Factor prize is peanuts compared to what Clive is offering," an insider told the paper.

"When Clive called Simon Cowell, he was talking £5 million. Leona and Simon will fly to meet him."

A staggering 12.6million viewers tuned in to watch Leona take the X Factor crown on Saturday night and now bookies have closed their betting on the Christmas No 1, as they fear no one will beat her.

Leona’s single, A Moment Like This, is already estimated to have sold 200,000 downloads. It will be in the shops on Wednesday.

The single is a cover of the No 1 song which Kelly Clarkson released after winning American Idol in 2002.

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