Get the latest gossip

Band Aid 40 fails to reach UK Top 40 in opening week

All-star version of Do They Know It’s Christmas?, spliced together from previous versions, falls short of the No 1 success of those earlier hits

But despite featuring the unusual A-list juxtaposition of George Michael, Sinead O’Connor, Chris Martin, One Direction and more, the new version has not yet matched the success of its predecessors, which each went straight to No 1 in 1984, 2004 and 2014. He cited criticism by British-Ghanaian musician Fuse ODG, who wrote in his own statement that charity initiatives such as Band Aid “perpetuate damaging stereotypes that stifle Africa’s economic growth, tourism and investment, ultimately costing the continent trillions and destroying its dignity, pride and identity”. He told CNN that he, along with Kofi Annan and others, had previously travelled Africa “lobbying exactly for what Fuse is saying” regarding the ability for African countries to be self-sustaining: “You inject the oil of cash into an economy and people fly.”

Get the Android app