Singer-songwriter Gabrielle Aplin wants to emulate her success in getting to number one in the UK singles charts with one of her own songs.

Miss Aplin, 20, who grew up in Sutton Benger and whose family still live there, was surprised that her version of the Frankie Goes To Hollywood hit

The Power of Love reached number one in the charts on Sunday.

The song was the soundtrack to upmarket store chain John Lewis’s Christmas TV advertisement.

She said: “Because it was my first release I didn’t have any expectations. I wasn’t expecting it to chart at all.

“I was one of a few artists who pitched for the song so when I recorded it I literally had no idea how it would do.

“I honestly have no idea why it is so popular. I think it was down to lots of little things and it’s gone a little bit viral.”

Miss Aplin, who now lives in London, phoned her family in Wiltshire on Sunday afternoon after she got the news that the song was number one.

She said: “They are very supportive of me. My mum, Lisa, thought it would be number one, she was more confident than me.”

She said Frankie Goes to Hollywood singer Holly Johnson liked her version of the song.

She said: “I spoke to him and he congratulated me on the song. He has been really lovely.”

The single knocked off Olly Murs’ song, Troublemaker, from the number one slot. It has so far sold 230,000 copies but Gabrielle thinks it will be tough to hold on for next week’s Christmas number one.

She said: “There are lots of amazing songs coming out. I would be surprised if it stayed at number one.”

Miss Aplin, a former pupil at Sheldon School, Chippen-ham, celebrated her success by going out for a drink with friends and colleagues in London on Sunday night but was up early the next day in the recording studio to work on her debut album with Parlophone Records, which will be released in about March next year.

Her first single is set to be released in February and she is also looking forward t touring and playing festivals.

She is a self-taught musician and plays guitar, piano and drums.
She wrote her first song at 14 and by the age of 18 had released three EPs.

She said: “Now that I have gone to number one with a cover version I want to do it with one of my own singles. 

“My last tour was sold out so I am looking forward to touring again and I want to keep building on what I have done.”