East 17's Tony Mortimer confesses he hates 'Stay Another Day'

Nothing quite says Christmas like four rough-looking lads from Walthamstow wearing oversized parkas, does it?

But there’s one person who doesn’t get all teary eyed whenever East 17’s Stay Another Day starts blaring out in the supermarket, and that’s Tony Mortimer.

Talk about RUINING CHRISTMAS.

Yep, the 90s boyband’s chief songwriter has told Mail Online that he’s not a fan of the churchbell-heavy festive anthem – and his mates even use it as a secret weapon to wind him up.

“When I walk around Tesco I’m always praying it doesn’t come on,” he sheepishly admitted. “My family never play it! My friends like to put it on and turn it up to wind me up. They’ve been told off plenty of times.”

Bah, humbug!

Still, there’s a rather more sad reason that 46-year-old Tony isn’t keen on hearing the song too often. He actually wrote the track after his brother tragically committed suicide, and has vowed never to perform it ever again because it’s just too painful for him.

And he doesn’t think we’ll all be listening to it for much longer, anyway. Tony thinks in a few more years we’ll all be thoroughly sick of the 1994 hit.

“If you think about David Essex’s Winter’s Tale and Boney M’s Mary Boy Child – they just aren’t as popular anymore,” he mused.

Speak for yourself, Tony.

The former boyband star will probably be hoping we all listen to it for a few more years yet, though. Apparently it nets him somewhere in the region of £98,000 A YEAR in royalties.

That’s quite a Christmas present.