Brighton-based influencer and musician James Marriott has seen off competition from Oasis and Sabrina Carpenter to earn his first UK number one album.
He secured the top spot on the Official Albums Chart with Don’t Tell the Dog, which was his second studio LP.
Speaking to BBC Radio Sussex, Marriott said: “I was sat on my sofa at home when I found out and immediately burst into tears and called everyone I know.
“We weren’t expecting it, it would have been lovely to get a top-10 and then as the weekly slowly progressed we realised slowly that we might actually get it, and then we did.”
The musician, who moved to Brighton four years ago, said his week had been “pretty mind-blowing” since hearing the news.
“We did a good job on this last album and managed to market it in the right way, reach the right people and we can be happy,” he said.
Marriott explained that Don’t Tell the Dog was about about moments in his adulthood that resonated with his childhood, taking inspiration from his late dog, Jasper.
He says his tip for success is to be “honest with your artistry” and to make content online that supports your music to help “get your art out there as much as possible”.