In April, Martin was quoted as saying he was “obsessed” with Girls Aloud, adding: “I've been trying to write them a song and I can't come up with anything good enough.”

The girl group have now challenged Martin, who revealed recently that he had worked with Kylie Minogue, to complete the song

“Well he better keep workin on a song, then, hadn't he? Pen a bit harder,” Nicola Roberts told the Observer newspaper.

Martin also spoke about Girls Aloud when the band collected two prizes at the Q Awards in London yesterday.

“Well this is fucking awesome. It’s like doing a wedding speech because everyone here is our friend,” he told the audience.

“I’ve got so much to say I’ll probably bore your pants off, which would be no bad thing if you were Girls Aloud.”

(by Jason Gregory)