Kate Winslet, the Hollywood star best known for Titanic, has unexpectedly found herself trending again—this time not for acting, but singing.
Over two decades ago, in 2001, Winslet released a ballad called What If for the animated movie Christmas Carol.
The song briefly climbed to number six in the UK charts, narrowly missing out on Christmas number one to Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman’s Somethin’ Stupid.
Since then, the track only made a brief comeback in 2010, reaching number 76 after a performance on Britain’s Got Talent.
But now, in 2025, a wave of nostalgic Millennials on TikTok have launched a campaign to finally push Kate’s festive tune to the top of the charts.
TikTok Gives the Song a New Lease of Life
The social media platform has been flooded with fans lip-syncing and dancing to What If, celebrating its signature emotional highs.
Many users are pointing out that countries like Ireland, Belgium, and Austria “got it right” when the song was released, insisting that the UK should finally follow suit.
Fans have also been loving the classic noughties power ballad tropes—the soaring key change, heartfelt lyrics, and polished production by Westlife hitmakers Steve Mac and Wayne Hector.
For a 2001 track, it’s proving remarkably resilient in the TikTok era.
Kate Winslet’s Reluctant Musical Career
Despite the renewed attention, Kate herself has a more complicated relationship with the song.
Back in 2017, she told Radio 1’s Greg James that she was initially hesitant to sing at all.
“I provided the voice for an animated version of A Christmas Carol, and the producers said, ‘Oh, we’d like to give your character a song.’
I said, ‘Well, I can sing a bit, I’ll give it a go.’”
Kate agreed to release the track as a single, on the condition that all proceeds would go to children’s charities, including the NSPCC and Sargent Cancer Care for Children.
She stressed that it was never meant to launch a singing career—it was always intended as a one-off charity effort.
Family Teasing and Public Reactions
Kate admits that her husband, Edward Abel Smith, loves to play What If on family holidays, much to her mock annoyance.
She also joked about the inevitability of the song being played in restaurants:
“I’ll sometimes go into restaurants and the restaurant will think, ‘Surely she’d love it if we played either that or My Heart Will Go On.’ I just expect it.”
Even 24 years later, the track continues to pop up in public consciousness—whether Kate likes it or not.
From Charity Single to TikTok Sensation
What began as a small, charitable gesture has unexpectedly become a viral moment in 2025.
Fans are now hoping to finally give Kate Winslet a Christmas number one, proving that even songs thought to be “haunted” can find a second life decades later.
With TikTok leading the charge, it seems that What If is ready for its overdue moment in the spotlight—though Kate herself may just keep cringing in the corner while fans celebrate.
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