'X Factor' reject £1 Fish Man has debuted his first music video.
Muhammad Shahid Nazir, now known as £1 Fish Man, appeared on Sunday night’s 'Xtra Factor' ahead of the song's release and now his single ‘One Pound Fish’ has been named as a renegade contender for Christmas number one by The Official Charts Company.
William Hill were the first major bookies to jump on board with their support: “The £1 Fish Man looks a lively outsider for the Christmas number one and we have installed the song at 33/1 to take the top spot,” said William Hill spokesman Rupert Adams. “To put that in perspective, he is twice as likely as Justin Bieber to take the top spot and four times as likely as Sir Cliff Richard.”
After over 4 million hits on YouTube, the song is out now and available for less than the cost of a £1 fish.
Nazir moved to London’s East End having left his native Pakistan and his wife and four children to discover a better life for them all. Working on a market stall selling fish, Nazir needed a trader’s call to grab passing trade. His song became the stuff of (local) legend and a viral sensation: “Have-a, have-a look, one pound fish. Very, very good, very, very cheap, one pound fish."
After a video of him was uploaded to YouTube, Nazir saw himself accelerated into the spotlight: he auditioned on 'X Factor' and saw his '£1 Fish Song' covered by both superstar producer Timbaland and Alesha Dixon.