'Speech Therapy' tipped for sales boost

The managing director of the Official Charts Company has predicted that Mercury Prize-winning album Speech Therapy by Speech Debelle will experience a huge boost in sales.

It is believed that the album had sold fewer than 3,000 copies before last night's victory, the least of all nominees on the Mercury shortlist.

Martin Talbot said: "After tonight's fantastic achievement, Speech DeBelle can look forward to a big surge in interest - and the sales that come with that.

"It is one of the least-established albums in the history of the Mercurys and an album which still has great potential."

He added: "The Mercury recognition will play a big part in helping achieve the broader public recognition which it deserves."

Debelle told the BBC that she was not aware of the previous sales of her debut album prior to her Mercury win.

"I don't even know what you're talking about. I haven't even asked the label how much it's sold because I don't want to know until it's a lot," she said.