Christmas chart bid launched

Anthony Lewis has a dream of being number one in the pop charts for Christmas - and who knows it might just come true.

Lewis, assistant editor of the Express & Star's sister paper the Jersey Evening Post, has released the pro-tolerance single Hug a Muslim (Colour This Time), which has been viewed via the internet all over the world.

Decide for yourself if it has the makings of a number one - click here for the video

Visit the official website by clicking hereMark Andrews writes:

X-Factor winner Leona Lewis may be hot favourite for this year's Christmas Number One, but it's by no means in the bag.She might yet find stiff competition from an unlikely source - and you read about it first here in the Express & Star.

In October this newspaper carried a light-hearted piece by Anthony Lewis about how he would be attempting to break into the charts this Christmas, despite having no musical experience whatsoever.

Now Anthony, assistant editor of our sister paper the Jersey Evening Post, is a step closer to achieving his dream after his bizarre song Hug a Muslim (Colour This Time) developed a cult following - and has already been viewed 6,200 times on internet site Youtube.com.

Bookies have even slashed the odds on the unlikely song, which he says does carry a serious message about tolerance, following a surge of bets, although it is still something of an outsider at 250-1.

In the song's video, made with the help of Jersey Evening Post readers who turned up to help, Anthony bellows through a loudhailer while dressed up in a reindeer suit.

Through his weekly column in the Evening Post, he invited readers to meet him on a Jersey beach to help make the film - and 100 people came along.

"As an experiment about what the internet can do it has been fascinating," he says. "This has been seen all over the world.

"Apparently GMTV like it, but I've not had a call from them. I'd quite like to sit on this sofa with Lorraine, I think she's gorgeous."

In his song, Anthony urges: "Turn to the person next to you now and give them a hug. Muslim, Hindu, Christian or Jew - hug a Muslim this Christmas."

Anthony can even claim the distinction of being the (very) early bookies' favourite for this year's coveted Christmas Number One spot, by virtue of the fact that he was the only person to place a bet in May. He says the song is all about encouraging tolerance between people of different faiths.

"The whole media is guilty of using the word 'Muslim' in a negative way, but there is no reason why. We're all just human beings."

Anthony says he hopes the song will encourage other journalists to launch impromptu pop careers. "We should form a musical collective," he jokes.

But the question on all his fans' lips: Why the reindeer suit?

"I went to the fancy dress shop the week before shooting, and the only suits they had were the reindeer or Scooby Doo, and I didn't fancy a lawsuit from Hanna-Barbera," he says.

"It was going to be a pigeon."

Makes perfect sense, then.