A PENSIONER from Oxford is taking on this year’s X Factor winner as part of the country’s oldest boy band.

John Shuter, 89, is a member of The Chelsea Pensioners, who hope to get the Christmas No.1 this year with their version of Bing Crosby’s classic White Christmas.

The pensioners’ combined age is nearly 600, while X Factor favourites and fellow boyband rivals One Direction’s age totals just 85.

But Mr Shuter, the oldest member of the group, shrugged off the threat from his younger challengers and conceded: “I’m ashamed to admit I don’t really watch X-Factor.”

With the money raised from record sales, the pensioners are hoping to help modernise their accommodation at The Royal Hospital Chelsea, which is home to 350 veteran soldiers and is funded by their military pensions and donations.

Currently each block has four toilets and two showers shared by 36 men.

Mr Shuter said: “It started out as a bit of fun really to entertain the ill ones in the hospital.

“But now we are taking it a bit more seriously and we are really hoping to raise £3m for the hospital.

“They do such a fantastic job here, but we want to help improve the ancient facilities.”

Mr Shuter was born in Cowley in 1921 and lived in the city until he was 17, gaining a scholarship to Magdalen College School. He still has family living in Cowley.

After joining up at the outbreak of World War II, he served with the Royal Artillery for more than seven years and fought in North Africa, Sicily and Italy. He then joined the colonial service and spent the next 35 years travelling the world with his family.

He was married to Phyllis, who died in 2004, for 58 years, and together they had three children and five grandchildren. His first great-grandchild is due in April.

The album Men in Scarlet was released in November and features artists like Katherine Jenkins and Dame Vera Lynn.

This week, it was awarded a gold disc for selling more than 100,000 copies. Their new single will also feature 62-year-old Brenda Sokell, who was chosen to sing by viewers of ITV1’s The Alan Titchmarsh Show.

Mr Shuter said: “We put a lot of hard work into making the record and we are very pleased with the end result.”

The album is out now and all royalties go to the Royal Hospital Chelsea.

For more information, go to chelsea-pensioners.co.uk