Actually you're wrong, Justin said music was the winner, no matter who won

Why?
It's a good, interesting interpretation of the song and not just a direct copy.

I agree that too many cover versions are just a copy of the original - and thats a pointless exercise - but there's nothing wrong when somebody interprets a song in their style.

Jimi Hendrix - All Along The Watchtower (Bob Dylan)
Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through The Grapevine (Gladys Knight)
Joe Cocker - With A Little Help (The Beatles)

Singers have always covered other writers songs and can turn a mediocre arrangement into a classic.

At least it stopped The Darkness - great music but that voice, sounds like a strangled cat being strangled again, and some of the worst lyrics since Mistletoe and Wine. And yes I get the joke and it's not particularly funny!!

I agree. There's nothing wrong with doing a cover version if the artist brings something new or original to it.

Interestingly, Gary Jules started out as a 50-1 outsider - anyone who put a bet on the track at that point will clearly have a very nice Christmas.

Nice to see Mad World take the number one spot for Christmas. People are missing the point about moaning about it being a cover - if a singer can cover a song in their own style very distinct and different from the original it is much better than a bunch of talentless muppetts who sing the song as close to the original compostition as possible.

Gary Jules' version is slower paced, shorter lyrically (there is no solo) and very much stripped down compared to the original which is also a great track.

The Darkness track is good as well. It's at least good to see an actual original "Christmas" song challenge strongly. They can at least take comfort that the song will be around for years to come, many other great Christmas songs from the likes of Wizard and the Pogues/McColl never got to number one but are still played on heavy rotation each Christmas time to this day. They're set up for life with the future royalities for Christmas time.