Pop veteran Sir Elton John has knocked rapper Eminem from the top of the singles chart.

Sir Elton's collaboration with boy band Blue - Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word - went straight to the number one spot, sending Eminem's Lose Yourself tumbling to number three.

The Cheeky Girls got the second spot with The Cheeky Song (Touch My Bum).

The Transylvanian twins, Monica and Gabriella Irimia, took the charts by storm last week with a song written by their mother, Margaret.

Robbie drops

But critics have questioned whether the double act - described by pop guru Pete Waterman as "the worst act ever" - could ever be more than a one-hit wonder.

There was disappointment for Gareth Gates whose latest single, What My Heart Wants to Say, only managed to enter at number five.

Daniel Bedingfield's If You're Not The One went down to number four while S Club Juniors went straight in at six with their rendition of Puppy Love/Sleigh Ride.

And Robbie Williams, dropped three places to seven.

Williams' song Feel, which was co-written with regular musical partner Guy Chambers, is the debut release from his fifth album, Escapology.

But, despite disappointment in the singles chart, there was no sign that Escapology would be unseated from the top of the album chart.

It remained at number one, followed by Blue's One Love, Westlife's Unbreakable - The Greatest Hits - Volume One and Elton John's The Greatest Hits 1970-2002.