Johnny Depp, Fatima Whitbread and Shaun Ryder secretly team up for surprise new project

THE race for Christmas number one always brings out some characters.

But The Sun can reveal the unlikeliest super-group ever is preparing a festive effort.

Johnny Depp has teamed up with Olympic javelin legend Fatima Whitbread, Happy Mondays star Shaun Ryder and Ringo Starr’s son Zack Starkey with a charity ditty.

Fatima told me she spearheaded the plan in the I’m A Celebrity All Stars camp in South Africa.

She said: “Shaun and I were chatting in camp and I revealed to him what I wanted to do.

“Ringo plays the percussion in the anthem, his son Zack plays the drums and Shaun and some other vocalists sing.

“Johnny Depp came onboard to work with me because he’s a friend of Ringo and Zack and he was very instrumental and said he’d love to help. He recorded himself and plays the guitar really well.

“When he was younger Johnny wanted to be a musician before he wanted to be an actor so, when we asked him he said no problem I’ll do this.”

Proceeds from the song, called Fatima’s UK Campaign, will go to help young people in care.

It means Fatima is throwing her weight behind Johnny despite the drama in his personal life over recent years.

She added: “You know, contrary to what some people think, Johnny Depp is a lovely man.

“I can only speak as I find and he has been a good supporter of Fatima’s UK Campaign.

“He was very kind and supportive to help out the children.”