Unknown DJ tops the charts with song made in bedroom

He may still live with his parents and record songs in his bedroom, but Daniel Bedingfield had the best-selling single in Britain last night.

The unknown musician ousted the pre-pubescents' pop favourite, S Club 7, off the top of the charts to claim the number one spot for himself.

Music industry insiders have predicted great things for the disk jockey from Lewisham, south-east London, who is reportedly being pursued by the record company Maverick for a duet with its owner, Madonna. "It would be amazing to work with Madonna,' he said.

Bedingfield, 21, recorded his debut song about spurned love in his bedroom with a computer and a £1,000 microphone.

Despite its inauspicious beginnings, the dance track "Gotta Get Thru" was championed on the Ayia Napa club scene in Cyprus during the summer and played regularly on pirate radio.

It has sparked a "ferocious label bidding war" for his first album, after the single reached the top of the charts within a week of being formally released. It sold 35,000 on its first day, last Monday.

Bedingfield, who is originally from New Zealand, is believed to have earned £400,000 after releasing the single through Relentless Records, a garage-music label.

He recorded the song without using synthesisers or mixing decks and is said to have paid £30 to have copies made to send to pirate stations.

The single, about his thwarted love for a red-headed nightclub dancer in Leeds, pushed S Club 7's ballad "Have You Ever" out of the best-selling position to number two and prevented Hear'Say from notching up a third number one hit with "Everybody". They had to settle for fourth position with a new release by PPK at number three.

"It's exciting because he's come from nowhere to debut ahead of some very illustrious releases," said a spokesman for HMV, a record shop. "He is set to be a huge international star."