Duffy is planning a ''major comeback'' for next year.

The 30-year-old 'Mercy' singer is working on new material and wants to ''reclaim her place'' on the charts next to Adele, who she was compared to when the two emerged and released their debut albums 'Rockferry' and '19' at the same time in 2008.

A source told The Sun newspaper: ''Duffy is working on new material with her sights set on a major comeback in 2016. She wants to reclaim her place among the likes of Adele in the music industry.''

Duffy is starring in a new film 'Secret Love' and has been writing and singing on the soundtrack too, and is hoping to use the film as a springboard back into the music industry.

Duffy's first album 'Rockferry' was the fourth biggest selling album of 2008 worldwide and earned her a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album and three Brits in 2009, but her second album 'Endlessly' flopped by comparison in 2010, only charting at number nine in the UK, and the Welsh singer hasn't released anything since.

Meanwhile, Adele's second album '21' went on to become the biggest selling musical release for both 2011 and 2012, and had sold 30 million copies worldwide by July 2014. It also won the 2012 Grammy Award for Album of the Year and the BRIT Award for British Album of the Year.