Co-writer believes it wouldn’t be a hit today

Afanasieff isn't convinced that the tune would be as big today because of the vast amount of Christmas material on offer.

He told Billboard: "Twenty years ago, Christmas music and Christmas albums by artists weren't the big deal that they are today.

"Back then, you didn't have a lot of artists with Christmas albums; It wasn't a known science at all back then, and there was nobody who did new, big Christmas songs."