Adam Rowe and Dan Nightingale have launched a bid to top the Christmas music charts.

The comedians' hit podcast Have A Word currently has shorter odds for their song Laura's Gone being number one on December 25th than Adele. At the time of writing, Paddy Power are offering them at 11-2, while William Hill has them at 8-1.

The song takes its title from a running gag on the show, in which Rowe, Nightingale and their comedian guests suggest how they'd react to the relationship dilemmas offered up by their listeners. Rowe imagines wildly different circumstances in which Nightingale's wife, Laura, has left him, so that he's free to engage in the feature without personal baggage.

Written by and sung by the pair's podcast assistant producer, Finnlay Kulavuz, with the comedians and their producer Carl Reigler providing backing and spoken word vocals, Laura's Gone will be released on December 17th, though pre-ordering has already begun, with proceeds from the sales going to the charity Zoe's Place Baby Hospice and the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust.

Explicit and radio-friendly versions of the song and an accompanying music video, released via the podcast's YouTube channel, were recorded at the Motor Museum studio in Rowe's native Liverpool, previously used for seminal records by the likes of Oasis and The Arctic Monkeys. The Have A Word team have also shot a mini-documentary about the experience.

Launched just before the first lockdown, Have A Word has more than 7000 regular subscribers on subscription service Patreon, making it amongst the most supported UK comedy podcasts. Recent guests on the show have included Jimmy Carr, Russell Kane, Catherine Bohart and Simon Brodkin.

"It isn't even out yet and we're third favourite [behind perennial festive chart toppers LadBaby and Elton John with Ed Sheeran]" Rowe told British Comedy Guide. "We're at least looking at number three, which is insane! The idea started out as a bit of a laugh but it looks like we're going to put a bit of money in the charities' back pockets."

Written to close out Have A Word's live shows, Laura's Gone "is really catchy", Rowe enthuses. "As much as it's a joke song, it's actually quite a good tune. The whole crowd pick it up quickly and regular listeners know it from verse one.

"We've already had a couple of national radio stations get in touch asking to play it. So I think we might be getting enough momentum to push Elton and Ed off the top spot!"

Another act Have A Word are up against is comedy punk singer Kunt, whose track Boris Johnson Is A Fucking Cunt reached number five last year, and, as BCG reported last week, will be releasing Boris Johnson Is Still A Fucking Cunt on December 17th.

Laura's Gone is available to pre-order at Amazon and Apple