South Shields X Factor star Joe McElderry backs Cancer Connections' 12 Layers of Christmas appeal

Cancer Connections' 12 Layers of Christmas initiative challenges supporters to play The 12 Days of Christmas song and put on a layer of clothing in time with each gift’s announcement.

Last Saturday (December 5), South Shields born Jade Thirlwall from Little Mix launched the campaign on the Cancer Connections Facebook page.

Since then, the charity have been sharing videos of people taking part in the challenge – all in aid of raising money to help out after fundraising was impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Almost a week on, X Factor winner Joe McElderry has taken his own twist on the challenge – opting to sing a 2020 themed 12 Days of Christmas while supporting the charity.

Joe’s modern take on the song featured 12 face masks, 11 rubber gloves, 10 diet cokes, nine months of lockdown, eight smelly socks, seven training tops, six banana breads, five toilet rolls, four McElderry t-shirts, three tiers, two sanitisers and a parrot named Chanel.

Cancer Connections’ Deborah Roberts said the charity had been forced to take its fundraising efforts online because of the coronavirus pandemic and hopes the challenge will give people something to smile about.

She told the Gazette: "All our events have been cancelled this year – we have got no fundraising done this year.

“I think people are just so fed up and this is really, really funny.”

You can watch Joe’s unique take on the 12 Days of Christmas by clicking here.

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