MARIAH CAREY - X FACTOR FINALISTS STORM TO NUMBER ONE

X FACTOR FINALISTS STORM TO NUMBER ONE

As expected, this year's X Factor finalists performed charity single heroics by taking the number one spot in the singles charts with their Mariah Carey cover.

Hero entered at the top spot, outselling the rest of the top ten combined with 313,244.

All profits from the single will go towards Help the Heroes and the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal, which provide support for injured service personnel returning from conflicts like Iraq and Afghanistan.

Its huge success means last week's number one, The Promise by Girls Aloud, slips to number two.

At least group member and X Factor judge Cheryl Cole doesn't mind too much.

She said: "I'd like to say thank you for supporting Hero. I don't mind being knocked off number one - for this cause only!"

Pink was at number three with So What while her new album, Funhouse, entered the album chart at number one.

She beat off competition from the other big album release this week, Snow Patrol's A Hundred Million Suns, which was in at two. Last week's album number one, Black Ice by AC/DC, was down to three.

Other new entries in the album top ten this week were Celine Dion's greatest hits compilation at five, Country Boy by Daniel O'Connell at six and Bloc Party's Intimacy at eight.

Elsewhere Quantum of Solace theme Another Way to Die, by Alicia Keys and Jack White, rose eight places to number ten in the singles chart.