Simon Cowell - Simon Cowell's Haiti Single At Number One

Simon Cowell's Helping Haiti single has already topped the download charts in the UK.

The release - a cover of R.E.M's 'Everybody Hurts' featuring Rod Stewart, Cheryl Cole, Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue, and a host of other stars - went on sale yesterday (08.02.10) and is almost certain to top the official UK top 40 chart on Sunday (14.02.10).

Leona Lewis, who sings the first lines of the single, said: "I'm so proud to be involved. I found recording it quite upsetting, but I feel very hopeful about the good it will bring and hope that people get behind it and support it."

Retailers selling the single are donating all profits to help relief work in Haiti, where two earthquakes hit in January, leaving an estimated 200,000 people dead.

R.E.M. have also agreed to waive writing royalties on the track and the UK government has agreed not to charge Value Added Tax (VAT) on the release.

Gennaro Castaldo, spokesperson for retailer HMV, said: "'Everybody Hurts' could well dominate the charts over the next few weeks and looks set to be one of the biggest releases of the past decade.

"It was also our most downloaded track of the day but people should not assume the song will get itself to number one. We must all go out and buy a copy - or lots of copies."

The current biggest selling single of the last ten years was Will Young's debut 'Evergreen' which sold 1.8 million copies, according to the UK Official Charts Company.

British 'X Factor' winner Joe McElderry has also urged the public to get behind the song.

He said: "I really do hope though that it will help lots of people in Haiti. Please, please, please buy a copy. It's for a great cause and we all need to help Haiti as much as we can."