Sam Fender and Olivia Dean finally reach number one after 35 weeks
sam fender and Olivia Dean have reached No. 1 on the UK singles chart with their duet Rein Me In after a 35-week run in the Top 40, giving Fender his first ever chart-topping single and breaking the record for the longest consecutive climb to the summit.
Sam Fender's first No. 1 ends record-setting climb
Rein Me In climbed four places to claim the top spot, ending a 35-week presence on the singles chart that had previously seen the song peak at number five on three separate occasions. The run surpasses the previous record of 19 consecutive weeks before reaching number one, a mark set by Ed Sheeran with Thinking Out Loud in 2014.
sam fender had previously scored three UK number one albums but had never had a number one single until this duet. The version that topped the chart is a reworking taken from Fender's third studio album People Watching, and it features an additional verse sung by Dean from a female perspective.
Polydor celebrates new chart record
Polydor Label Group said the single’s slow-burn rise has been notable; the track is platinum-certified and has spent 18 weeks in the Top 10 and 34 weeks in the Top 20. Ben Mortimer, president of Polydor Label Group, described watching the song's ascent from its live debut at London Stadium to No. 1 as “deeply satisfying, ” saying the song had “taken a life of its own. ”
The collaboration united campaigns from Polydor Records and Capitol UK and marked the label group’s first UK No. 1 single of 2026 so far. The track also reached the top of the Irish charts last week.
Live debuts, chart ripple and other placements
The duet had its live debut during Fender’s show at London Stadium last summer, and the pair performed it again a week later at St James' Park. Fender said the new version benefited from Dean’s input, noting, “Olivia made the song her own, and it took on a life of its own after we did it together. ”
Rein Me In dethroned Taylor Swift’s Opalite, which had been No. 1 the previous week. Olivia Dean also placed at No. 2 this week with her solo single So Easy (To Fall In Love), while her earlier No. 1 Man I Need sits at No. 4 on the same chart.
Dean’s solo success continues alongside the collaboration: she is a recent Grammy winner and has placed multiple tracks high on the chart this week, including a rebound into the Top 5 for Man I Need. The duet’s No. 1 gives Dean her second UK chart-topper and Fender his first.
The immediate consequence for both artists is tangible: Rein Me In now carries a record-setting chart trajectory and boosts momentum around Fender’s Mercury Prize-winning album People Watching and Dean’s recent chart activity. For the label group, the single adds to an already strong run of album and single performances in recent seasons.
Olivia Dean is scheduled to perform at the Manchester BRIT Awards ceremony later this month, a confirmed upcoming appearance connected to her recent nominations and chart surge. Polydor’s executive statement framed the No. 1 as a milestone for both artists and for the label’s campaigns this year.
