George Michael - Michael's Christmas Single Sells Out

GEORGE MICHAEL appears to have underestimated his own popularity - his latest single is set to score low in the U.K.'s Christmas music chart because his record label didn't stock shops with enough CDs.

The Faith hitmaker released December Song on Monday (14Dec09), but the disc proved so well-liked, the physical copies sold out in retail outlets in just one day.

Michael has credited his performance on British reality talent show The X Factor on Saturday (12Dec09), which saw him duet with eventual winner Joe MCElderry, with boosting his popularity.

The singer has reached out to his fans to apologise and reassure them they will still be able to get a copy before Christmas Day (25Dec09).

He tells British TV show Loose Women, "I need to make an apology to my audience out there, because I think my record company rather underestimated the power of The X Factor, actually, and they were kind of taken by surprise and all the records were sold. The actual physical copies that people can give to each other were sold on the Monday, so there isn't anything in the shops for the whole week.

"You can download (the song), but if people want the physical copy - my fans want the physical copy - and I know a lot of them do, you know, and they haven't been able to get hold of it, they will print up more in time for next Monday and Tuesday. It's not going to make the Christmas chart, well it will, but it won't chart very high, but the point is you can get it on the Monday and Tuesday, even if the shops have told you they're out of it and they don't know if they're getting any more. Can you believe that, they ran out on the Monday?"