James Marriott reveals poignant story behind his number one album Don’t Tell the Dog

EntertainmentMusic
10 Jun 2026 • 5:01 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

James Marriott reveals poignant story behind his number one album Don’t Tell the Dog

James Marriott has revealed the nerve-wracking reality of chasing a UK number one, after his album Don't Tell the Dog beat Sabrina Carpenter and Oasis to the top spot in 2025.

The YouTuber-turned-musician explains artists receive their award and film their acceptance interview on the Tuesday, three days before the official result is confirmed on the Friday.

"You have no idea if you've got it or not," he tells The Independent. "There's probably an archive of artists holding number one awards and doing interviews — and they don't get it."

The Swiss-born, Brighton-based multihyphenate performs at Latitude Festival 2026, taking place 10–13 July at Henham Park, Suffolk. Tickets are available at latitudefestival.com.