Kay's spoof TV song outsells real thing

As a savage satire of television talent shows, Peter Kay's spoof programme Britain's Got The Pop Factor and Possibly a New Celebrity Jesus Christ Soapstar Superstar Strictly On Ice was, at times, so close to the real thing that it was cringeworthy.

Eight days after the broadcast, Kay has scored a stunning victory over the marketing machinery of manufactured pop. The comedian's joke record – delivered in his fictional cross-dressing persona as an overweight Irish transsexual – beat the real winner of The X-Factor in last night's singles chart. Simon Cowell was unavailable for comment.

The real X-Factor pop ballad "Don't Call This Love", sung by squeaky-clean Scotsman Leon Jackson, who triumphed in last year's contest, had been considered a shoo-in for the number one spot. But Cowell and co reckoned without the input of Kay, who, in eight days, has landed a stinging wound on the pop goliath.

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Kay's spoof talent show single, "The Winners Song", was first performed a week ago at the end of Britain's Got the Pop Factor, on Channel 4. Kay was seen progressing through the mock talent contest by singing a particularly rousing edition of the Home and Away theme tune, under the tutelage of Sir Paul McCartney. His supporters rallied this week and pushed "The Winners Song", written by the former Take That singer Gary Barlow, to number two, only a few thousand sales shy of the top spot, which was claimed by the punk-pop star Pink for a third week. The Official UK Charts Company announced last night that Jackson had come third, despite extensive marketing and a live performance on last week's prime timeX-Factor slot.

The spoof television show, and the character of the Northern Irish singer, Geraldine McQueen, were created to poke fun at the talent shows cramming television schedules.

To Kay's fans, his stunt was a stroke of comic genius that could mark the end of the reign of "reality show pop". To lovers of X-Factor, it was just deeply perplexing that a portly comedian dressed as a woman could beat a reality show winner whose star quality had been endorsed by the public vote.

It is too early to assess the impact of Kay's victory on the X-Factor brand, which has, until now, been indomitable. The show's format, devised by Simon Cowell, who also sits on the judging panel, has previously guaranteed commercial success to winners who have gone on to release songs that claimed the number one singles spot.

Giddy from his success yesterday, Kay announced he would be releasing a second song by "Geraldine", which would go head-to-head with this year's X-Factor winner for the Yuletide No 1 spot.

A spokesman for Polydor, Kay's record label, said: "We're delighted we've won the battle of the X-Factor." Kay sent his own consolatory message to Jackson through his transsexual alter-ego: "Leon is a lovely wee boy," said Geraldine. "He's a Scottish Michael Buble."