Justin Bieber teams up with British health workers for Christmas song

The former teen star joins health workers to sing his hit “Holy” together to raise funds to help Britain’s state-run National Health Service (NHS) tackle the coronavirus pandemic.

Singer Justin Bieber poses with the NHS Choir at Abbey Road Studios, London, Britain, in this undated handout obtained by Reuters on December 18, 2020.
Reuters

Singer Justin Bieber poses with the NHS Choir at Abbey Road Studios, London, Britain, in this undated handout obtained by Reuters on December 18, 2020.

Five years ago pop star Justin Bieber was locked in a contest for Britain’s favourite Christmas song with a group of little known health workers. He gave in.

This year, the Canadian singer-songwriter and the health workers are back, singing his hit “Holy” together to raise funds to help Britain’s state-run National Health Service (NHS) tackle the coronavirus pandemic.

Bieber’s 2015 tweet asking his fans to help the South London Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Choir went viral and their song beat his to the coveted Christmas #1 spot.

READ MORE: Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande team up to benefit frontline workers

'Difficult times'

The former teen star later met up with the medical workers, leading to this year’s collaboration. “Especially in these difficult times, I’m humbled to team up with them,” he said in a statement on Friday announcing the new release.

Britain has among the largest recorded numbers of infections and deaths from Covid-19 and the government said on Friday the epidemic appeared to be growing again, shortly before a planned five-day relaxation of restrictions for the festive period.

Earlier this year, Bieber donated profits from “Stuck With U”, his single with Ariana Grande, to the First Responders Children’s Foundation, a charity which supports frontline workers in the United States, which has the world’s highest figures for Covid-19 deaths and infections.

READ MORE: Justin Bieber to chronicle comeback in YouTube documentary series

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