THIS year’s X Factor winner’s single has smashed the reality show’s sales records, which is good news for a Worcester hospice.

James Arthur’s debut single Impossible has become the fastest-selling winner’s single at this point in its release, having sold 187,000 digital copies by midnight on Monday after going on sale immediately after he was crowned X Factor winner on Sunday evening.

The CD version of the single goes on sale today.

As we reported yesterday, all proceeds from the charity single will be donated to Together for Short Lives, a national charity which supports 50 children’s hospices and other organisations in children’s palliative care across the UK, including Acorns Children’s Hospice.

Together for Short Lives will receive at least £1 for each CD sold and 20p for each download.

Based on opening-week sales, Shayne Ward’s That’s My Goal is the all-time fastest-selling X Factor winner’s single with 742,000 copies.

His single only sold 46,000 copies on download by midnight on Monday but that was in the early days of digital.

Martin Talbot, managing director of the Official Charts Company, said he believed James has a “fantastic chance” of matching Shayne’s total sales, despite questions over X Factor’s popularity this year.

Yesterday James tweeted: “Wow just seen the figures for the single sales and it's blowing my mind! Thankyou all for buying it on iTunes.”