Olivia Colman reaches number one with Children In Need album

The Children In Need recording featuring Olivia Colman has shot to number one, despite being pulled from the album charts.

BBC bosses were “deeply saddened” at the Official Charts Company’s decision to quietly pull the charity release.

But the covers record, featuring stars like Colman and Helena Bonham-Carter, has surged up the compilation rankings to claim its own number one after being switched to a different chart.

Children In Need: Got it Covered was the UK’s best-selling album of the week.

Simon Antrobus, chief executive of BBC Children In Need, had said of the switch in charts: “I’m deeply saddened that the industry has chosen to pull the album from the number one race after announcing it was well on its way to securing the top spot this week.”

An Official Charts Company spokeswoman had responded that: “We understand and sympathise with Children In Need’s concerns that their album will no longer feature in the UK’s artist albums chart.”

But the charity release, featuring Jodie Whittaker and David Tennant, has now claimed its own number one.

Elsewhere in the charts, Jeff Lynne’s ELO claimed number one in the album chart with From Out Of Nowhere.

Michael Kiwanuka and his self-titled album Kiwanuka was second, followed by Ed Sheeran’s No 6 Collaborations Project.

Lewis Capaldi’s Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent and Krept And Konan’s Revenge is Sweet round off the top five.

Toni And I leads the way in the singles chart with Dance Monkey, followed by Dua Lipa and Don’t Stop Now.

In third is Regard and Ride It, trailed by Sheeran, Camila Cabello, and Cardi B’s South Of The Border. Post Malone’s Circles completes the top five.