Stars sing about Ebola and 'death in every tear' in Band Aid video premiere

London - Stars like One Direction, Bono and Chris Martin featured in the video for the new Band Aid single to raise money for anti-Ebola charities that was shown for the first time on British television on Sunday.

Organiser Bob Geldof presented the song on the talent show The X Factor on channel ITV and said it was about "the most anti-human disease", which prevents physical contact because of fear of contagion.

The music video begins with graphic images of an Ebola victim's body being carried away, before switching to London's Sarm Studios where around 30 stars recorded the Christmas song on Saturday.

"There's death in every tear," sings Grammy-winning diva Angelique Kidjo, followed by a lyric from Coldplay's Chris Martin: "The Christmas bells that ring there are clanging chimes of doom".

"Well tonight we're reaching out and touching you," Bono sings and Seal continues with: "Bring peace and joy this Christmas to west Africa!"

The single is the 30th anniversary version of Do They Know It's Christmas? recorded by Geldof and fellow singer Midge Ure in 1984 with other stars to raise money for famine victims in Ethiopia.

The song became one of the best-selling singles ever and led to the hugely popular Live Aid concerts in 1985, which had a record-breaking estimated global TV audience of 1.9 billion people.

No live performance linked to the current Band Aid is planned but Geldof said he was hoping the song will rise quickly in the charts when it is officially released for download on Monday.

"We go to war. We're going to stop this thing. Buy this song," he said on Sunday.

"This isn't about me, it's not about you, it's not about them, it's about us," he said.

"The reason they did this is that this thing could arrive here on a plane at any time."

The Ebola outbreak has claimed more than 5,000 lives since last December, according to the World Health Organisation - almost all in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone - while the number of infected cases registered worldwide has soared to more than 14,000.

An extract from the new lyrics:

But say a prayer, pray for the other ones

At Christmas time, it's hard but while you're having fun

There's a world outside your window, and it's a world of dread and fear

Where a kiss of love can kill you, and there's death in every tear

And the Christmas bells that ring there are the clanging chimes of doom

Well tonight we're reaching out and touching you

No peace and joy this Christmas in West Africa

The only hope they'll have is being alive

Where to comfort is to fear

Where to touch is to be scared

How can they know it's Christmas time at all