UK singer Cheryl Cole scores chart double

Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Cole smiles as she watches performers during the Brit Awards at Earls Court in London February 18, 2009.

LONDON (Reuters) - Singer Cheryl Cole's debut solo album joined her first solo single at the top of the British pop charts on Sunday.

Cole, a member of Girls Aloud and a judge on the hit British TV talent show "The X Factor," becomes only the 12th female artist to have claimed top spot in both charts at the same time, the Official Charts Company said.

She follows in the footsteps of the likes of Barbra Streisand, Madonna and Celine Dion. Lily Allen and Lady Gaga have also matched the achievement this year, as did last week's albums and singles champ "X Factor" winner Alexandra Burke.

Cole's album "3 Words" entered the charts in top spot ahead of Canadian singer Michael Buble's "Crazy Love" with Michael Jackson's posthumous "This Is It" debuting in third place.

"'3 Words' now looks set to be one of the biggest albums of this coming Christmas," said Martin Talbot, Managing Director of the Official Charts Company.

"Coming Home," a debut album of covers by the Soldiers, three serving British servicemen to raise money for a military charity, was another new entry in fourth. Burke's "Overcome" fell to fifth.

Meanwhile Cole's "Fight for This Love," which has already become the fastest-selling song of the year, remained in top spot in the singles chart.

Irish boy band Westlife's "What About Now" debuted in second place with "Down," a new entry from British R&B singer Jay Sean featuring Lil Wayne, in third.

Burke's "Bad Boys" fell to fourth, while Buble's "Haven't Met You Yet" was in fifth.

(Reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Jon Boyle)