Remembering Kate Winslet’s iconic ‘What If’ song from Christmas Carol: The Movie

17 December 2021, 10:26 | Updated: 16 November 2022, 16:19

By Hannah Lovejoy

@HanLovejoy

Kate Winslet is best known for her acting skills but she also sings and at one point even lent her vocals to a Christmas film.

Kate Winslet is best known for her iconic film roles such as Rose in the 1997 movie Titanic or her work as Marianne in the 1995 film Sense and Sensibility.

In 2001, she starred in one of the leading voiceover roles in Christmas Carol: The Movie, at the character Belle.

Christmas Carol: The Movie is centred around the life of the miserable Ebenezer Scrooge who has an inherently rude character and personality. Ebenezer is quickly challenged and learns about compassion when three ghosts pay him a visit on Christmas Eve.

In the film, Kate’s character Belle is engaged to Ebenezer and breaks off their relationship because of Ebenezer’s rude and self-centred mindset.

Kate Winslet - What If - Official Music Video

Kate sings the song ‘What If’ during Christmas Carol: The Movie, a track written by Steve Mac and Wayne Hector.

It's sang from Belle’s perspective, as she wonders what her life could’ve been like if she didn’t end her engagement to Ebenezer.

‘What If’ helped Kate secure a top 10 single on the official UK music chart as the track landed at number six.

In rare behind-the-scenes footage, Kate explained what it was like to make the song and said that she thought that it would be a “fun” experience.

“I said look I can sing a bit but you know I’m not a singer and I’m perfectly happy to give it a go,” Kate said.

KATE WINSLET "WHAT IF" THE MAKING

“It will be fun, why not? If you think it’s rubbish you know just get someone else to do it and I really don’t mind.”

Kate spoke about the song in more detail and said that it’s one for the “weepies” as it can easily make people cry.

“It’s a song about the loss of love and it just it’s going to reach out to a lot of people I think. Just because it’s one of those good old weepies,” Kate explained.

She recalled some of the most emotional lyrics from the ‘What If’ track and said that it will resonate with a lot of people.

She continued: “It’s kind of uplifting as well and it starts off very soft and then it gets big and kind of boomy, quite passionate at the end.”