To Simon Cowell it could be the stuff of nightmares - Rolf Harris has teamed up with veteran rockers Status Quo in a bid for his first Christmas number one in 40 years.

Harris, 79, last topped the charts with Two Little Boys in 1969 but he hopes his new song, Christmas In The Sun, can frustrate Cowell's X Factor winner for the coveted festive number one spot.

"It's all about my childhood," he said. "The Christmases that I remember when the temperature was like 104 degrees in the shade, and we didn't have heavy turkey and pudding - you'd go down to the beach with a barbecue."

Relaxing on a deckchair in a studio mock-up of Bondi beach and sporting a Santa hat and Hawaiian shirt, the Australian entertainer said he was not concerned about the threat from Cowell - whose X Factor winner is hotly tipped to take the Christmas number one.

He said: "Is he still involved in X Factor? Perhaps people have had enough of that - they're getting it every weekend."

Harris rocks out alongside Status Quo's guitarist, Rick Parfitt, in the light-hearted video.

Parfitt said: "Forget rock 'n' roll, this is Rick 'n' Rolf. I've been a fan of him all my life.

"It's just fantastic in showbusiness, these things just come together when you least expect them. It's like going out to buy yourself a shirt - you will never buy it if you go out looking for it, and we weren't looking for it, it just kind of happened."

Harris confessed he has always been a big fan of the British rockers and took his chance to get them on board when he bumped into the band at the Variety Club Awards.

With the help of Parfitt's Fender Telecaster, Harris has given his old song a boogie-rock makeover and even included a snatch from one of Quo's best-loved songs, Whatever You Want.

Status Quo last topped the UK charts in 1975 with Down Down. A football-themed version of their song Burning Bridges got Manchester United to number one in 1994 with Come On You Reds.

Christmas In The Sun will be released on December 7 and is featured on Status Quo's compilation album It's Christmas Time, out on November 23.