The Pogues' Shane MacGowan reacts to Jon Bon Jovi's modernised cover of 'Fairytale Of New York'

You give Christmas a bad name ...

That's the word from fans of the holiday classic 'Fairytale of New York,' who think Jon Bon Jovi's cover of the song is awful.

However, Shane MacGowan - the frontman of the Irish-British Celtic punk band The Pogues - doesn't agree!

MacGowan's wife took to Twitter to share what he thought of the rocker's revamped rendition of the hit 1987 Christmas song after the 'Livin' On A Prayer' singer ruffled a few feathers when he unveiled the "early holiday gift" for his fans.

While the cover has been slammed by many online, with the majority of people calling it "terrible," MacGown reportedly likes the version.

According to the 62-year-old's wife Victoria Mary: "Shane says @BonJovi is a talented guy and he likes the version and he thinks it’s interesting and soulful".

The tweet comes in stark contrast to The Pogues' unverified Twitter account, who seem to suggest the rendition is awful by retweeting the sentiments of Irish musician Rob Smith while adding: "What Rob said".

Smith wrote: "I have heard Bon Jovi’s cover of Fairytale Of New York. It’s the worst thing to ever happen music, and I am including both the murder of John Lennon and Brian McFadden’s solo career in there. This is worse!"

Controversy has surrounded the song for a number of years, with some claiming the use of homophobic and sexist slurs make the track unsuitable for the public domain.

Last month it was announced that some radio stations in the UK would be playing a censored version of the hit this year.